


Assassin’s Creed Oneshots

by Sakuraaeris1497



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Assassin! Reader, Best Friends, Civilian! Reader, Clay Lives AU, F/M, Gen, Kadar Lives AU, Malik Lives AU, Mistios! Reader, Multi, Phoibe Lives AU, mostly canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 12:25:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 152,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16264160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakuraaeris1497/pseuds/Sakuraaeris1497
Summary: Here’s some oneshots for the many characters of Assassin’s Creed. These will be updated as ideas for oneshots arise.





	1. Altaïr Ibn La’Ahad X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hello, fans of my Tumblr and of Assassin's Creed. I hope that you all enjoy this story since it took so long to write and edit, and I humbly apologize for the delay. I also gave a few cameos to characters from other one-shots from this series. I even give full credit to the following links for dialogue used in the story through listening to sound bites and videos from the game so as much canon could stay as I could allow without harming the Al-Sayf brothers:
> 
> http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassination_(Al_Mualim)
> 
> http://allsoundsasscreed.tumblr.com/tagged/king%20richard
> 
> https://youtu.be/9G5Zd_m3RII

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD OF ASSASSINS 

______________________________

You were once a female vigilante from Acre who often sided with the innocent civilians of the various cities you visited and even the Levantine Assassins. Now, you were currently a Master Assassin after many years of training and dedication to the cause. For as long as you could remember, you were always following in the footsteps of your parents. Mainly you followed behind the shadow of the father you never knew, a handsome Englishman from Acre that your Muslim mother from Damascus fell in love with and had a single child with (I.E. you) after they met due to both of them offering selfless aid to the Levantine Assassins, which resulted in your mother asking your father to take her and an injured informer on horseback from Acre to Masayf's fortress. After many years of courting each other since the first encounter, they were secretly married due to fear of possible persecution and they planned to elope together so they could settle down as a family in Masayf...that was until she learned from her parents that she was to be arranged in a marriage to a male merchant from Damascus. But by the time your mother walked down the aisle and agreed to the marriage (after telling your real father about what happened), she was already carrying you in her womb and her new second husband thought that you were always his. Therefore, you were "technically" the product of an affair and you didn't even learn the truth until after your "adoptive" father's death due to old age (since he was a lot older than your mother) and your mother sat you down to tell the truth when you were eleven. On one hand, you were extremely upset and angry at your unholy status because you felt as though everyone knew it whenever they looked at you, which destroyed any love and confidence you had in yourself. You may have had dark, coarse hair that cascaded in waves from your scalp to denote your Muslim heritage, but your skin and eyes were a dead give-away that you were not a pure Englishwoman or Syrian female. You were both! Instead, you had light-hued eyes that were not a variation of gold, black, amber, or brown but instead were a beautiful shade of (blue/green/reader's color choice) while your skin was not easily burned by the hot Sun but was in-between olive tan and white with tinges of rosy pink. You also believed that no one could ever love you and that God would punish you for the adulterous sins your real parents had done. You also believed that somehow, your mother secretly hated you and only acted like she loved you because you reminded her of the affair every time she looked at you or gave you a kiss before bed to tell you that she loved you. You believed that maybe your adoptive father knew the truth but wanted you to grow up "normal" by making you think he was your real dad, or that he knew the truth and the truth killed him. That's why you thought that maybe it was your fault for pretty much everything terrible that happened in your family, which is why you always felt sort of abandoned and alone in a never-ending path of darkness, making you inwardly suppose that they gave up on you so you could brave the world alone. This was a main reason why it was also so hard for you to create attachments with other people. But on the other hand, you had to be fair to your mother because your adoptive father could be harshly gruff to you both whereas your real father was described as a good-hearted vigilante who died at the hands of a Templar while trying to save an Assassin from arrest and execution for nearly succeeding to kill a corrupt leader. Although your mother was proud of you and encouraged you to have the life she never did but always wanted, to learn how to read, write, and engage in proper fighting skills from a local Assassin in their local Damascus Bureau (which eventually led you to become an Assassin yourself and journey to Masayf to meet the rest of the Creed), she did worry that you would suffer the same fate as your father. But then again, don't all mothers worry for their children out of love? If she would worry for you as a child and as an adult Assassin, then didn't that mean that your accusations of her not loving you were false? Sometimes, you weren't so sure.

So here you were back in Acre, visiting after a long journey across the entirety of the Kingdom. Finding some fresh flowers growing in a nearby rooftop garden, you managed to cut the long, green stems with your hidden blade before you carried them to a nearby location. Replacing the old, brown, crumpled flowers with the new, vibrant ones, you divided them up equally before you set them down in front of three gray stones as your eyes felt heavy with a biting sting. At least one thing was certain. Your mother and your two fathers, adoptive and biological, were properly buried right next to each other with the woman they all shared in the center. After kissing each stone, you knelt down in front of them as you stared at your real father's stone first as it read "David" before you felt your voice break with every labored breath. Rubbing your eyes, you tried to muster a smile as you choked on your words, "Father...I only wish I actually knew you and the man you saved. Maybe then, I could meet the one you helped and maybe meet his family, since Mother said the Assassin had a son..." Turning to your adoptive father's grave as it read off the name "Abdul," you felt more tears come to your eyes as you remarked, "You harsh, stubborn, old man...Even though you could be cruel, you still provided for me as if I was your own and you never even knew the truth...Or maybe you did know and you just wanted to spare me from pain at the cost of your own life." Finally, you stared at your mother's grave as it read the name "Tanaruz" while you closed your eyes. Thinking back on your life, you remembered how she died of disease months after she told you the truth of your birth, giving you to the Assassin Bureau leader in Damascus to be raised by him as if you were his own.

After becoming an Assassin, you were often paired with Altaïr according to recommendations made by the old Damascus Bureau leader who raised you (who just happened to still be alive by this day and age) to Al Mualim, who saw you prove your skill and decided his best two employees should be on missions together to get the job done effectively. Looking back on it, when you and Altaïr first met, you practically hated each other. You were always snapping at each other and nearly ready to strike each other with your hidden blades. Even if you bickered like an old married couple, which was comical to everyone else who happened to be around at the time, you two were always at each other's throats. Once, Altaïr recognized a trinket around your neck of two bronze circles side-by-side with the silver symbol of an eagle on each individual one, a pair of charms that you always clung to tightly with your fingers before any assassination missions, a leap of faith, or whenever you were nervous. But it had once belonged to HIS father, Umar, and had been made by him, so Altaïr snatched it from you while you took it off and put it on a table so you could remove your hood and weapons for a moment since they were getting heavy on you and your muscles needed a short break. You started grabbing for it as Altaïr held it out of reach, demanding to know how YOU came in possession of it and not HIM as he raised his voice to you, making you raise your voice back as the man put you on the defensive. At once, curse words in Arabic and English starting hurling through the air between the two of you as you kept reaching for the necklace while Altaïr kept it out of your reach before you resorted to shoving each other several times. The fight almost escalated into a brutal slaying with hidden blades as your fight escalated until the Damascus Rafiq had to break you two apart because you two were so loud, it was a wonder the guards couldn't hear you from outside even if they were five centimeters away. Demanding that Altaïr give you the necklace back, regardless of it being his father's, the Rafiq returned it to you as you took one of the charms and slid it off the rope it was secured on. After tossing one of the eagle charms to Altaïr's chest in a rage with a loud huff of "Here! Take the thing if you want it so bad, you stubborn ass" in Arabic, you tied the rest of the heirloom back around your neck while you kindly dismissed the Rafiq with a pat to his aged shoulder so you could go to sleep before you death-glared "The Eagle of Masayf" and rolled your eyes of (blue/green/reader's color choice).

While you slept in the next room, Altaïr stared down at the eagle charm you chucked at him moments earlier as he knelt down to pick it up and cradle it in his large hand, which appeared to be no bigger than a coin used in trade in the multitudinous marketplaces in the Holy Land. After he rose to his feet, Altaïr clutched the charm tightly with enough force to crack his knuckle bones while he balled his hand into a fist before he looked at your sleeping form with a death glare of animosity and rivalry. Almost immediately without any filter for his mouth, he started talking smack about you (which he was not afraid to say directly to your face if given the chance because he knew how to grow a pair and own up to saying nasty things behind someone's back rather than deny the truth if questioned or accused of even saying nasty things) while also asking the Rafiq more personal things about you and why he most of the time defended you whenever you and the Master Assassin exchanged curses and threats in arguments, to which the old man told him, "Don't take it personally. (Name) has been through just as much heartbreak and hardship as you, especially in regards to her parentage, so it's only reasonable for me to defend her since she has no one left except me. That has always been the case since she was young, but it only worsened around the same time you lost your father." Even though Altaïr seemed to care less about you around others, there was a curiosity brewing in his gut and care still in his heart for a fellow comrade in the Creed who fought for the same cause as he kept prying the Rafiq for answers to learn the truth, but the older man refused as he explained, "She told me the truth in confidence and I dare not compromise her trust in me...But what I can divulge to you is that her father was a man from Acre, a vigilante who died at the hands of Templars while saving an Assassin after he attempted to murder Saladin in his sleep."

"But, wait! That would mean-" Altaïr gasped as he started to connect the dots while the Rafiq continued, "Her father saved yours?...Yes, you would be correct. The pendant she wears around her neck is proof of their friendship because your father made it in your youth. The eagle on the necklace was used to denote her father as an ally, and now she wears it to prove her alliance to the Creed and her paternal lineage, but also to honor her father and yours since they have left us so soon...Those of us who knew your father recognize the pendant, so we can recognize who she really is without a moment's hesitation..." After gathering some materials to weave some homemade baskets for the marketplace, the Rafiq looked to Altaïr before he made a suggestion while he ran his fingers back and forth repeatedly to create one of many sources of steady income for the Brotherhood, "Might I give you some sound advice, young man? Do not judge others just by the first impression they give off. There may be more to the person's history than meets the eye. There may even be secrets of one's past that they choose not to reveal openly to everyone and that they wish to keep hidden for a valid reason, not to protect the person it involves but the ones who could look at the person differently because of such a burden...A true Assassin would seek the truth to its fullest...Maybe you should apply that rule of thumb to people as well the next time you want to make a swift judgement you don't quite understand or have evidence for yet." Looking back at your sleeping form, Altaïr retired for the night as he politely bid the Rafiq goodnight before he laid down beside you on the mountain of pillows on the ground. He slept back-to-back with you without even half an inch of his clothed form coming in contact with you, not wanting to touch you or look at you because you were as stubborn as you were sarcastic and mouthy. Altaïr had never encountered a woman like you before in his life, EVER! Therefore, he wasn't ever prepared every time you two argued and he only thought of resorting to being sarcastic, mouthy, and stubborn back.

However, he still didn't feel right about what he just heard from the Rafiq or said to you as a sort of guilt took over him and gnawed at his heart, guiding him to actively turn over to face you despite your back being to him. With his lips to your ear, Altaïr clutched his father's trinket to his chest as it still rested in his fist before he whispered a grateful "I'm sorry...Your father deserved my humblest thanks, but you do too since you're his daughter and you have been a great help to me in the past. Thank you" in Arabic before he turned flat onto his back to stare up at the ceiling until he would eventually feel tired, but not before he heard you rustle in your sleep as you scooted closer to him and whispered with a yawn, "You're welcome, Brother..." It was right then and there when Altaïr knew you had overheard everything, but rather than be angry at you for your nosiness, you were the least bit grateful to him for better understanding you. No wonder he smiled down at you as he gave a nod of understanding that you mimicked back with your own pleasant smirk before you two fell asleep on the cushions, facing each other as budding best friends instead of rivals in a constant hate-hate relationship.

Since that day, Altaïr had a better appreciation for you and tried his best to get to know you more so he wouldn't make swift judgements based on assumptions not rooted in concrete evidence. Over a period of months going on assassination missions alone or together, the two of you also developed feelings for the other, no matter how long you two were separated. Eventually, you always agreed to meet halfway in either Masayf or Acre, where he knew your parents were buried. Sometimes, you noticed when he would leave fresh flowers by your parents' graves, despite still not knowing the truth of your existence and your true parentage aside from the facts about his father's ally and your father, David. From what you two exchanged one night while sitting back to back in a Bureau, preparing for a mission by sharpening your hidden blades, Altaïr shared his own life story that almost made you shed tears of empathy for him because you could tell he was pained by the past from his voice and posture even though he tried to stay stoic and calm, which made others perceive him as cold. But not you because you understood him and agreed with him...most of the time. He was just raised into an Assassin's life, the only life he ever knew, and he was raised to not be a cry baby, so it made sense as to why he didn't tolerate childishness, being a cry baby, or coddling behavior in general. He also learned about some of your real parents' love story and the arranged marriage to Abdul from the bits and pieces you offered to him. However, you left many things up to the listener's interpretation and assumption without putting words in their mouths even though Altaïr could spot holes in your stories due to being a very objective person. Many believed your stories and asked no more when they saw the pain the remembrance caused you or whenever you asked them to stop. But Altaïr was pretty insistent, although, he didn't pressure you to speak when it was clear you were hurt by the memories because what good would that do you or the listener of the story? If you were in mental turmoil just by recalling past events, why should you be compelled to tell someone if it was evident that it was some type of deep secret? He figured you were just frightened of revealing the truth to prevent the few people you did trust from looking at or treating you differently, not just to save your own pride. Therefore, Altaïr only let you reveal what you wished because he knew you'd tear down the mental walls when you were ready (in truth, that's just how you were naturally for as long as you could remember) and he decided not to pressure you out of friendly courtesy if you asked him to stop. Had you been anyone else, he would've pestered you in frustration until he got what he wanted since his anger always seemed to get the better of him. But because you had earned his trust and respect and because you were (Name), one of his friends and comrades (and the only female at the time), he left you well enough alone whenever you wished for such a state of being.

Regardless, the little things he did for you such as making sure you were okay every once in a while or leaving flowers by your parents' graves meant a lot to you and would make you smile, make you love him more. But no one said that being in love with this man was easy. After losing Adha, the first woman he ever loved and searched for every day until he learned of her death at the hands of Templars, Altaïr thought he was never meant for such love and peace in his troubled life. He was so overcome with grief and guilt at not being able to save her that he feared that the same fate would befall you, so he tried to push you away, which only made him more cruel and cold as if you were rivals hating each other again. This resulted in more heated arguments on both your parts. But when you came along and learned the truth from another member of the Creed accidentally divulging the secret to you, you took the Master Assassin to a secluded place so you could properly talk together. There, you reminded the Master Assassin that EVERYONE deserved love, especially the ones who were innocent but were always hurt by the corrupt. These individuals, himself included, suffered from an early age when they never asked for such hardship or a need to grow up and give up their childhoods too quickly. Therefore, they needed true, unconditional love from someone else who could love them more than they could ever love themselves. Mainly, you were ranting about how you couldn't love or forgive yourself for being born an illegitimate child without coming out with the truth forthright, but Altaïr took the sound advice anyways, thinking he could finally be at peace and in love with you, maybe with you as his wife and with several children by his and your side. What he didn't realize was the truth that you pushed so far into your unconscious was still hurting you too, but you were too much of a strong-willed woman to cry for help, even from the one you loved. You didn't like to push your problems on others, even if they told you that confiding in them was not a bad idea. You were not a cry baby then and you didn't want to ever be labeled one due to one psychological battle now. But in all your life of twenty-six years, you had never seen a man so broken as Altaïr until you met him. Maybe that's why you identified with him so well. Maybe that's why you two grew so attached to each other! I mean, you really couldn't blame him for losing his affection but gaining his pride! He lost his Assassin mother in childbirth due to complications and his Assassin father to Templars as a sacrifice to save the Levantine Brotherhood when he was eleven. Therefore, he had to be the best in everything in order to ensure that he would never lose anyone or anything he loved again. So his arrogance was just a justified defense mechanism to avoid pain. Your denial and repression were also justified defense mechanisms you used to hide your pain, so it didn't surprise you in the slightest. You and him were practically parallels of each other, two sides to the same coin. Despite the many times you tried to deny that you had feelings for Al Mualim's 'prodigal son,' in the end, you had to learn to agree with your heart because it always steered you right. You knew that Altaïr was a good man (despite being a little arrogant) and you did have feelings for him, which he soon realized that he had for you too after being your partner on missions for so long. This was the main reason why Altaïr made you his fiancé while you two were about to take a Leap of Faith during one of your dates, which made you joyful beyond words as you accepted without hesitation before kissing his lips and taking his hand as you both jumped into a pile of hay.

But as you opened your light-hued eyes to return yourself back to the present, two lone tears ran down your face, one across each cheek until they fall off your chin to the ground below, as feelings of butter anger and grief-stricken love cracked your voice. With your head lowered and your shoulders shaking, you snapped your neck upwards before you admitted as if with a sigh of relief, "My dearest mother...I want you to know that I understand why you did what you did, why you and my real father hid the truth from me and others...You were never at fault and neither was he, so I don't blame you for my internal battles...I-I...I love you both...Safety and peace, until we meet again..." As you rubbed your eyes some more, you bit your lower lip to calm your eventual sobbing as you ran your fingers through your hair, clutching the ends of the soft strands to anchor your emotions as it started to become matted and tangled from your actions. After getting yourself calm to soothe your mind's constant, negative bantering and harping at you, you fixed your hair into a braided ponytail and wiped your weary eyes against the ivory robes of your Assassin uniform, making sure the cloth of your long sleeves erased any trace of melancholy pain, before you sighed deeply to catch your breath. Closing your eyes, you rested your head in your hands before you let out a slow breath as if you had not exhaled fresh air for centuries due to just waking up from a long slumber induced by a dark curse while you let the light back into your field of vision as if you had been trapped in darkness since conception in the womb. Giving a final kiss to the gravestones, you rose up from your kneeling position as you walked away until your next visit as you walked to the waters of the sea near the docks.

Splashing your face with the freezing liquid, you further rid yourself of the evidence of your short-lived episode of crying as you began to make your departure to meet with Altaïr. You expected him to meet you soon in Acre after his assassination mission in Jerusalem against Robert de Sablé, his long-term enemy. However, he was apparently late after you had heard no news in the form of hand-written letters or spoken verse from Assassin informers. But there was also the small thought you had in your head that your fiancé could be dead at the hands of Saracens, Crusaders, and/or Templars. You sure hoped he wasn't dead because you didn't want ANOTHER person you loved to leave you alone. However, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a familiar figure in white coming towards you from behind as he seemed to be praying before he put his lips close to your ear to whisper a gentle "boo" in what sounded like a flirtatious tone. Shaking your head with a friendly smirk, you whipped around to meet the golden gaze of your beloved as he smiled slightly to make his scar twitch while he announced your name, letting the sweet syllables escape his plump lips. Pushing you into his chest, Altaïr hugged you close as he buried his nose into your braided locks of (hair color), savoring your natural perfume and the physical sensation of your (hair texture) scalp between his fingers while you noticed the smell of various spices on his person. Burying your face against his sternum, you tried to prevent more tears from spilling out as you felt the relief that your fiancé was alive and the guilt of keeping personal things from Altaïr gnaw at your heart. Despite what your emotions wanted to do, you were able to keep them in check as you greeted your beloved sweetly.

After finishing your embrace, Altaïr took your hand in his as he made eye contact with you before he noticed the path where you had come from to get to the docks as he questioned you, "I take it you went to visit your parents again?"

"Yes, their flowers needed a replacement. But I also had some unfinished business to speak about with them, hoping they could hear me." You admitted as you tried to prevent tears from slipping down your face before Altaïr asked you in concern, "Are you okay?" With a small nod, you tried your best to remain calm as you managed to keep your composure while Altaïr massaged your hand gently with his fingers to soothe you. He always knew when you weren't acting like yourself, whether that meant you were ill, angry, or upset. You knew that he knew you were acting strangely. However, even though Altaïr was quick to anger and judgement, he dared not pry you for information since it never worked in the past and it only succeeded in making you withdraw and push loved ones away. Besides, he had enough respect for you to let you reveal what was wrong when you were ready. After all he had put you through in the past, he owed you that much at the least.

After a few bits of silence, the young man of twenty-six looked around over your shoulder and his as if he was afraid of being caught saying or doing something that was taboo. After taking another quick glance just to be sure of perfect security, Altaïr looked into your eyes before he asked, "Would it be alright if we talked about something in a more private place? It's really important, my beloved."

"Of course." You nodded as you allowed your fiancé to lead you to a back alley as he looked around a second time to make sure you two weren't being followed or watched. Without many social cues, you noticed that your fiancé seemed more tense and troubled than normal, which worried you greatly since you had never seen the man so stressed. There was never a time when Altaïr wasn't calm. He was always so cool and collected even in severe life-or-death situations, just like a majestic eagle overlooking a city from a ledge before they took a plunge down to the ground below as their wings sprung out to give them lift into the air. But now, Altaïr seemed confused and worried about the things that were racing through his head as you clutched his hand in yours while you asked him, "My beloved, is everything alright?" Looking towards you with what looked like a mixture of bronze and gold swirled together into a masterpiece that was your fiancé's eyes, Altaïr cupped your cheek in his hand as he never lost any form of contact with you before he explained himself, "I have to leave soon to ride for Arsuf and then back to Masayf. Robert set a trap for me back in Jerusalem and left a woman as a decoy for me. He's going to King Richard now to plead a case so he and the Templars can destroy the Creed."

"Are you serious? Would Richard really believe the words of a Templar?" You asked as you were afraid for your life and that of your fiancé and fellow Brothers before he nodded, "Of course I am. What's worse is that Al Mualim is acting strangely since he received the treasure from Solomon's Temple and he is keeping important things from everyone in the Creed, myself included."

"I have noticed that myself as well...I would like to do whatever I can to help you, but what are you going to do?" You interrogated your fiancé before he announced, "I can't delay anymore or else our enemy will succeed in destroying us all...I'm going to take the fight to Robert in Arsuf and then go back to Masayf to confront our master...But I need your help. You've been my partner for years, even before Solomon's Temple, Masayf's invasion, or my quest of redemption. Right now, you may be the only one right now who believes me about Al Mualim and Robert. I need someone I can trust, someone who can assist me in this endeavor."

"Well, I'm so flattered you would ask me for your help rather than demand it, and you've asked me, a woman, to help you...Maybe you have changed since Solomon's Temple after all." You teased your fiancé with a wink of your eye and the tip of your tongue extended out to him like a playful child beating their rival on the playground while you took his tanned hand in yours before he asked in all seriousness as if he needed a hasty decision so he could leave in a nano-second, "Well, are you coming?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, (Name). I owe you one."

"No, you don't. I'd just call it even since you saved me from getting shot by a rooftop archer while I helped you on your recent assassination missions in Acre. Besides, if you're going to do something reckless, I have to be there to witness and assist as your fiancé...I can't let you die before our wedding day, now can I?" You teased again before you decided to become serious with your soon-to-be husband while he led you to the gates of the city. Concealing your identities as you passed by, you and Altaïr escaped the city peacefully without detection or any open conflict with the guards before you gathered up your horse. With his arms circled around your body and his pelvis pressed against your lower back, you took the reins alongside the man as your hands touched before you both guided the horse out of the stables and rode off for Arsuf.

Along the way, you and Altaïr encountered wave upon countless wave of soldiers and archers from both sides who wanted to murder you on sight as their discorded pandemonium washed over on you two in a sea of blood upon the ivory uniforms you wore. Wielding both sword and hidden blade, you two fought back to back to defend each other and fight back against your dozens upon dozens of opponents as you pressed on. Clank of iron, push and shove, taunts and stabs from behind and above. This was the constant cycle of battle as you and Altaïr made it ever closer and closer to your enemy. After a fierce struggle with both Crusaders and Saracens alike, you both came face to face with King Richard to request a peaceful audience so a negotiation to prevent any more bloodshed could be made. However, a guard stopped you two as he announced in his British accent, sword ready to be drawn any second, "Come no further."

"Hold. It's words we bring, not steel." Altaïr tried to convince the Crusader's leader as you backed up your fiancé, "We request an audience with King Richard, if you will please let us through."

"Offering terms of surrender, then? It's about time." Richard nodded as he stared at you and your future husband, thinking that he had won the Crusades and the Saracens had sent you two as treaty negotiators. However, you and Altaïr decided to clear up the confusion as the male Assassin shook his head, "You misunderstand. It's Al Mualim who sends us; not Saladin."

"Assassins?!" Richard questioned, stunned with more questions to ask and very little patience left due to the conditions of war, as he commanded, "What is the meaning of this? And be quick with it!"

"You have a traitor in your midst."

"And he has hired you two to kill me? Come to gloat about it before you strike?" Richard asked you two as he was prepared to stand his ground before he announced angrily, "I won't be taken so easily!"

"It's not you we've come to kill." Altaïr replied as he attempted to peacefully pacify the situation (which was so unlike your normally hot-headed lover) before the king demanded to know what was really going on since he had no idea at all, "Speak then, that I may judge the truth! Who is this traitor?!" Pushing through the crowd of guards so you could reveal the traitor to the wise Crusader king, you and Altaïr stood right in front of your target and your negotiator before you pointed at the French Templar with your index finger while you announced, "It's him...Robert de Sablé!"

"My lieutenant?!" Richard interrogated you two as he looked to Robert before he turned to you two and gave a grand fit of laughter from deep within his belly. At once, other Templars and Crusaders joined into the laughing fest as they pointed at you and your fiancé as if you two had gone insane and said that pigs could fly or that it was raining cats and dogs outside. However, you and Altaïr squeezed each other's hands for reassurance as you stood firm before you felt a sharp pain against your hand. At once, you knew that anger was getting the better of your beloved as you felt him clench your palm with enough force to snap your fingers as he gritted his teeth before his voice was raised to the king, "He aims to betray!"

"Sir, we are only trying to protect you from him. Please let us do our jobs." You pleaded prettily as if to pacify the situation while you tried to control Altaïr's swift temper before Richard explained Robert's side of the story, "Well, that's not the way he tells it. He seeks revenge against your people for the havoc you've wrought in Acre. And I'm inclined to support him. Some of my best men were murdered by some of yours."

"Well, as it may seem like havoc to you, your majesty, it benefits the people when corrupt leaders are snuffed out so they can't hurt again...And I would know because my father David was a native of Acre and I now only have gravestones to remember him and my mother Tanaruz by." You explained yourself and your fiancé as well as the consequences you chose from your actions before Altaïr took his turn to speak in order to defend himself and the Creed, "IT WAS I WHO KILLED THEM AND FOR GOOD REASON! Hear me out...William of Monferret, he sought to use his soldiers to take Acre by force. Garnier de Naplouse, he would use his skills to control and indoctrinate anyone who resisted. Sibrand, he intended to block the ports, preventing your kingdom from providing aid."

"And that's JUST the people in Acre. There were others just like that in Damascus and Jerusalem."

"They betrayed you and they took their orders from Robert."

You and Altaïr tried everything to convince this man that the Creed was a good thing and that you two were just trying to help the innocents of the Holy Land. You noted specific examples of targets you had killed. You challenged the ideologies of both your Creed, your precious Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, and the Order of the Knights Templar. You fought tooth and nail almost to the point of death by swords just to get up the hill to request an audience with the king. You were both patient and calm, even when the odds were against you in pleading your case. However, nothing seemed to work! This is a reason why a lion lives in a pride. For this king, Richard the Lion-Heart, he seemed to be full of it and consumed by his pride as a leader as he yelled at your beloved, "You expect me to believe this outlandish tale?!" All Altaïr could retort back with was a calm expression mixed with calm words, "You knew these men, better than I, or are you truly surprised to learn their true intentions?"

"Is this true?" Richard questioned Robert as he turned around to stare at the Templar, who was removing his helmet, only to give a blatant lie to his own king, "My liege, they are Assassins that stand before us. These creatures are masters of manipulation. Of course it isn't true."

At once, an anger bubbled inside you as you snarled in Arabic while death-glaring Robert, giving your own declaration as a sort of promise, "I'll show you manipulation when I shove my foot down your throat and convince everyone you choked on your selfish aspirations." Seeing how tense you were as your dominant hand curled into a fist and shook violently, like it were vibrating in a rhythm like hummingbird wings, Altair placed a callused hand on your shoulder, a feather-light touch being felt through the cloth of your sleeve to calm you from your rage at being lied to or hearing others tell blatant lies, one of many pet peeves of yours. After he told you a simple "Safety and peace, my beloved" in Arabic, Altaïr turned to Richard as he insisted that you and him were not the enemies here, "We've no reason to deceive."

"Oh, but you do!" Robert interrupted before he taunted you and your fiancé from afar with a smirk written on his smug face, "You're afraid of what will happen to your little fortress. Can it withstand the combined might of the Saracen and Crusader armies?"

"Okay, now he's pissed me off," You announced in Arabic before you asked your fiancé in the language you both used to communicate fluently to hide things you didn't want others to hear or speak to other native speakers of the language, "Can I just shove my blade down his throat to make him stop speaking in that stupid accent? It sounds like a snake bit his tongue whenever he talks and it annoys me." You knew Altaïr wanted to laugh at your joke. You knew he really did! You could hear it in the way he huffed quickly through his nose as he shook his head at you, his hand still on your shoulder to keep you from doing something stupid to compromise the Creed. You could even see the small hint of a smirk on the corner of his large lips before the kissing muscles closed into a tight line while he faced the king once more, "Our concern is for the people of the Holy Land. If we must sacrifice ourselves for there to be peace, so be it."

"This is a strange place we find ourselves in. Each of you accusing the other." Richard announced, unsure of who and what to believe, before Robert shouted in an irritated tone that even shocked his own leader, "There really is no time for this! I must be off to meet with Salada and enlist his aid. The longer we delay, the harder it will become."

"Hold, Robert." Richard commanded as Ribert tried to turn and leave before the French Templar questioned, still irritated, "Why? What do you intend?"

Leaning your head towards Altaïr, you whispered to him in English this time as you joked, "Seems we know who wears the pants in this business relationship, and it definitely isn't the bigger, taller Templar." This time, you did see Altair shake his head with a chuckle, biting down his lip to avoid laughing in such a serious moment even though what you said was so true and sarcastically funny, before the infamous Grand Master screamed, "Surely you do not believe him or the ugly wench!"

Now, it was your turn to feel more rage for the man who nearly killed your best friend Kadar and nearly caused Malik to be an arm amputee survivor. As if you were possessed by a demonic entity, your eyes of (blue/green/reader's choice) widened to a diameter that nearly took up half of your face as your hair came undone from its braid, bouncing against your shoulders as you whipped your head around in sheer hatred. Going back into using Arabic, you hissed under your breath as you almost clicked your finger forward to bring out your most secret weapon, "Have I just gone deaf or did that ass just call me a wench?! He doesn't have to worry about you killing him because I'll do the job for you!" However, Altaïr extended his arm out to you to stall your rage in an attempt to calm you down before the king thought for a moment. After thinking, he still could not get his thoughts or his brain together as he shook his head, "It is a difficult decision, one I cannot make alone. I must leave it in the hands of one wiser than I."

"Thank you." Robert bowed down to his king while Richard yelled, "No, not you, Robert!"

"Then who?"

"The Lord...Let this be decided by combat. Surely, God will side with the one whose cause is righteous." Richard declared as Robert bowed again, "If this is what you wish..."

"It is!"

"So be it...To arms, Assassins!!!" Robert announced as dozens of Templars and Crusaders drew their weapons and charged at you and Altaïr. You were completely surrounded but you two fought back as if surrender, capture, or death were never other options. Even while surrounded by dozens of Templars, you and Altaïr took down each and every one with your swords and your defensive tactics before you heard a familiar voice shout out, "The time for games has ended!" It was in the moment where his men had failed him that Robert came up to you two from behind, his long sword drawn and a metal helmet secured to his head as his tall frame towered above you like two ants compared to the sheer majesty of a tree. Playing defensive against your bigger, taller, and stronger opponent instead of going to an offensive route like you did against Templars, you and Altaïr worked in tandem as you circled around the French Grand Master. As many times as you and Altaïr were nearly thrown down to the ground by Robert, you managed to counter his grabs with your own palms shoving his wrists back until you and your fiancé were both knocked to the ground. Stalking closer to Altaïr as he tried to get to his feet, Robert drew his sword back to his ear as he began to swing it forward to collide with the Assassin's fresh until you slammed your entire body into King Richard's lieutenant, wrapping your arms around his waist as you rolled forward with the Frenchman. Knocking Robert off his feet, you rolled forward to avoid the enemy grabbing for your booted foot as you landed on your feet, crouched low to the ground as if you were doing squats, before you stood up straight and assisted Altaïr in a counter-attack against the Templar. After minutes of combat, you and Altaïr managed to defeat the French Grand Master. Cradling the man in his arms, Altaïr conversed with his enemy as you knelt beside your fiancé and your enemy as well while the Assassin announced, "It's done. Your schemes, like you, have been put to rest."

"You know nothing of schemes. You are a puppet...He betrayed you, boy, just as he betrayed me." Robert articulated while Altaïr interrogated the man, "Speak sense, Templar, or not at all."

"Nine men he sent you to kill, yes? The nine who guarded the treasure's secret."

"What of it?" Altaïr questioned in a huff as he began to sound more agitated with every delay Robert made while you declared, "And this time, you better tell us the truth. I've always hated liars."

"It wasn't nine who found the treasure, Assassins...Not nine, but ten." Robert clarified for you both while your fiancé asked, "A tenth?! None may live who keep the secret! Give us his name."

"Oh, but you two know him well. And I doubt you two would take his life so willingly as you've taken mine."

"WHO?!"

"It is your master, Al Mualim." Robert revealed as you and Altaïr couldn't believe your ears. Surely, Robert was telling falsehoods just to save himself or prevent the truth from getting out! This was why Altaïr's voice was laced with perplexed emotions as he faced Robert and tried to defend the old man, "But he is not a Templar!"

"Did you never wonder how it was he knew so much? Where to find us, how many we numbered, what we aspired to obtain?"

"He is the master of the Assassins."

"Oui, Master of Lies. You and I are just two pawns in his game. And now with my death, only you two remain. Do you think he will let you both live, knowing what you do?"

"My partner and I have no interest in the treasure."

"Ah, but he does. The only difference between your master and I is that he did not want to share...Ironic, isn't it? That I, your greatest enemy, kept you safe from harm. But now, you've taken my life, and in the process, ended your own and that of your wench." This confession of Robert's before he breathed his last bit of oxygen only further proved your fiancé's suspicions that your and his master was a traitor to the Creed but it also added more evidence that he was secretly a Templar seeking to take over the world using the power of the Apple. This was only stacking up the odds in you and your fiancé's favor because you now had concrete evidence that Al Mualim was a monster and he deserved to be stopped, if not killed for what he did and what he was about to do.

After assassinating Robert, you and Altaïr had an audience with Richard as he told his men to stay down before he nodded, "Well fought, Assassins! It seems God favors your cause this day."

"God had nothing to do with it. My partner and I were just the better fighters." Altaïr shrugged before the king nodded, "Ah, you may not believe in Him, but it seems He believes in you. Before you two go, I have a question."

"Ask it then."

"Why? Why travel all this way, risk your lives a thousand times, all to kill a single man?" Richard asked honestly to get to the bottom of you and your husband-to-be's true intentions before your fiancé gave him an honest answer matter-of-factly, "He threatened my partner and my Brothers and what we stand for."

"Ah. Vengeance then." Richard misunderstood as Altaïr shook his head, "No, not vengeance. Justice, that there might be peace." But this only seemed to confuse Richard more as he challenged the views you and your fiancé held, "This is what you fight for? Peace? Do you see the contradiction?" This only created an argument of philosophies and ideologies between your fiancé and King Richard as Altaïr elaborated on his side if the civil debate, "Some men cannot be reasoned with."

"Like that madman, Saladin."

"I think he'd like to see an end to this war as much as you."

"So I've heard, but never seen."

"Even if he doesn't say it, it's what the people want, Saracen and Crusader alike." Altaïr argued on behalf of the people while you agreed, "All the people want is peace and prosperity, but this war deprives them of both."

"The people know not what they want. It's why they turn to men like us." Richard declared as Altaïr announced, "Then it falls to men like you to do what is right."

"Nonsense. We come into the world kicking and screaming, violent and unstable. It is what we are. We cannot help ourselves."

"No. We are what we choose to be." Altaïr explained as you made your own statement in defense of your beloved with a gentle smile on your beautiful face, "We choose our own fate, just as we choose the consequences for every action we make. Nothing is true and everything is permitted...That's the famous statement our Creed goes by."

"Hah! Your kind, always playing with words." Richard laughed before Altaïr tried to defend himself, "I speak the truth. There's no trick to be found here."

"We'll know soon enough. But I fear you cannot have what you desire this day. Even now, that heathen Saladin cuts through my men and I must attend to them. But perhaps having seen how vulnerable he is, he will reconsider his actions. Yes... In time, what you seek may be possible."

"You were no more secure than him. Do not forget that. The men you left behind to rule in your stead did not intend to serve you for longer than they had to."

"Yes, yes... I am well aware."

"Then my partner and I will take our leave. Our Master have much to discuss with us. It seems even he is not without fault."

"He is only human, as are we all. You as well." Richard explained with a gentle expression on his weary complexion before Altaïr wished the king the best with his final words, "Safety and peace be upon you."

"Thank you for listening and understanding, your majesty." You nodded with a small bow before the king noticed your father's trinket dangling around your neck after it had flown out of place during the battle. At once, he got your attention by calling out to you, "Young lady?"

"Yes, your majesty?" You asked as you turned around to face King Richard while Altaïr continued to grip your hand tightly in his larger palm. With kind eyes and a gentle tone, Richard beckoned for you with his large hand to walk forward as he commanded, "Come hither. I'd like to better inspect that trinket you wear on your neck. I feel as though I recall its origins."

"Yes, your majesty. Of course." You nodded as you and Altaïr came closer to face the Crusader ruler before you grabbed your family heirloom in your index finger and thumb. With the trinket cradled delicately in his fingers after being passed to him by you, Richard inspected it by turning it over several times before he nodded, "Yep, this was indeed David's. He did say a male ally of his made it for him and he always wore it...He never took it off once. That's how dedicated he was to support this man, and I highly respected him for his loyalty."

"So you knew him personally?"

"Yes, I did. He was a good God-faring man and he was an honest worker. He was a metalworker who made some of the best blades used in this war, including the one I have resting against my hip." Richard explained as he patted the scabbard of his sword before he ceased his inspection of the necklace as you hid it back under your robes to keep it safe from harm while the good, wise king questioned you once more, "But how did you come to possess it? Were you a younger family member or family friend of his?"

"You could say I was a family member of his...because he was my father." You announced as the other men and the king gasped in shock at your sudden revelation. Soft murmuring filled the air as you looked to Altaïr for reassurance in case you were about to be harassed for confessing such a thing until the king silenced the crowd with a wave of his hand and looked you in your light (blue/green/reader's color choice) eyes, skeptical to your statement and its truth, while he orated, "I was never aware David had any children, let alone a wife or a lover."

"That's because my mother and him had a secret relationship. He was an Englishman from Acre while she was a Muslim woman from Damascus, but despite the harassment they would face by being together and combining cultures, they were going to elope together to Masayf after years of being together...But my mother found out from her parents that she was engaged to a Damascus merchant right after her meeting with my father...The last meeting they had was to keep their relationship a secret by acting as though they never knew each other...In truth, my father never knew I existed because my mother didn't even find out she was pregnant until she was about to marry the other man...I never even knew until my mother told me when I was eleven, months after my father was killed by protecting his ally..." Then, gesturing to Altaïr, you let another fact be known as you announced truthfully, "That ally was my partner Altaïr's father, an Assassin named Umar."

"You seem to speak the truth...I apologize for his swift death and I offer you my sincerest condolences, Miss..." Richard replied as he patted your hand, stumbling over what name to call you besides 'young lady' as you offered up your name to him, "(Name)."

"Well, Miss (Name), you are always welcome in my camp, as is your partner. I wish you luck in your quest to save the Holy Land and I hope God graces your cause just as He has done on this day."

"Thank you, your majesty. Safety and peace be with you." You grinned sweetly as you bowed before the king, bumping your elbow against your fiancé's chest to make him bow down too out of respect as the Syrian native just rolled his eyes in annoyance under the concealment of his hood, before you and your fiancé got back on your horse and made off for Masayf.

However, an aching feeling of guilt roamed inside your heart as you felt Altaïr close to you from behind. It was just flying around in your thoughts like a locust on fresh crops, furthermore gnawing away at all your rationale as you started to feel the emotion pricking your eyes of (blue/green/reader's color choice) with a painful sting like a scorpion's tail digging into flesh. You knew you were keeping important things from him and you saw what he was about to do to Al Mualim for doing the same thing. You felt as though he deserved to know the truth about you before he ever married you once this whole mess with the Templars and the Apple of Eden was over. He deserved to know what he was getting himself into before you became husband and wife or just in case something was to happen in Masayf and one of you died. It would make you feel more at peace if you lifted this weight off your shoulders.

However, the way you went about it wasn't the best way to do so as your internal monologue entered your external speech before you could piece together a question for your fiancé to answer. The words "You don't want to marry me; I don't deserve you because you deserve a better woman" escaped your lips faster than you could ever blink as you realized your mistake and covered your mouth with the entirety of your gloved hand before Altaïr looked stunned by what you just muttered under your breath, thinking no one would hear your internal desperation and frustration. Giving a call of "whoa" to the horse as he pulled you two over to the side of the dirt path, Altaïr tried to decipher what you could possibly mean by what you orated as he asked you in annoyance not at you but what you said about yourself, "What are you talking about, woman? Of course you deserve me and you are the best woman I've ever met, the best thing that's ever happened to me after all the things I have done and been through. What kind of sorcery possessed you and told you such lies?"

"If you mean the negative thoughts in my own head, then yes, it should be considered sorcery..." You answered matter-of-factly with a shrug as if you had told the story a hundred times before (even though that wasn't the case at all since no one but only the former Damascus Bureau leader knew the secret) before Altaïr started to become greatly concerned by your stand-offish behavior since this was so unlike you. You were a little shy and withdrawn from people you barely knew, but around loved ones, you were pretty funny and sarcastic, very easy to get along with. So you looking troubled with your head hung down in shame and making no eye contact with your future husband started to confuse him as he interrogated you, "Is everything alright, (Name)? Who said this to you?"

"No one but the negative voices in my head, reciting an internal dialogue in an almost-religious mantra every day since I was eleven." You shook your head as if it was no big deal before Altaïr persistently asked, "What?...Let me make sure I heard you correct. You believe you don't deserve me and that I shouldn't be your husband because you feel I deserve better...That's what you believe?"

"Yes." You nodded as Altaïr couldn't help but question you again and again until you answered him fully with a coherent answer other than 'I don't want to talk about it right now' while he persisted, "Why?"

"Altaïr, get off the horse. We need to talk before we get inside Masayf's gates." You commanded as your fiancé hopped off the obedient companion first before he took your hand so he could help you off the horse even though he knew you were capable of getting off the horse by yourself. Once you two were face-to-face in front of each other towards the stone pillars and the path that led to the place of Altaïr's birth and the start of your official Assassin career, you met your fiancé's amber eyes with your own (blue/green/reader's color choice) ones with your arms crossed over your bosom, teeth biting your bottom lip as Altaïr crossed his own arms over his chest and stared intently at you. He was waiting to see what you were about to do and say because whatever choices you made would result in consequences equal to said choices. And you knew he was waiting for you to speak first since you brought it up and you knew he wasn't playing games. He wasn't one for childishness, so he was definitely serious about attempting to figure out what made you accept such negative accusations about yourself. Now was your chance to come clean! If you didn't do it now, you probably wouldn't get another chance. And from the way that Altaïr stood in front of you, you knew he wanted to know NOW while you two were stopping before you entered Masayf.

Taking a sigh to catch your breath and gather your thoughts conscientiously before you gave an impulsive answer to his question or gave the wrong impression, you determined that you were going to tell him the truth and nothing but it since Al Mualim had already lied to you two and you didn't want Altaïr to be angry with you for doing the same. He even said he needed you because you were the only one who believed him and the only one he could trust and confide to in such a sensitive, desperate matter of preservation for the Creed and its cause. Therefore, you couldn't let him down. You'd rather him know the truth and lose him once you were at peace with releasing the weary burden you kept for over fifteen years than lose him after he thought he had been betrayed by you.

After getting yourself calm enough to speak, you gazed upon your fiancé before you announced, "If that Apple can brainwash anyone who comes near it or reveal things that are even secret inside someone's mind like the legends say, then I need to come clean before Al Mualim does something to us..."

"What do you mean?" Altaïr asked as he got closer to you so he was practically in your personal bubble of space before you sighed, "It is a confession that has to do with me...So I don't want you to feel angry with me or betrayed by me because that was never my intention."

"Before you tell me, I want to know something...Who else knows?" Altaïr suddenly asked as you took longer than normal to process the question as you questioned back, "I'm sorry?"

"Let me rephrase. Does anyone else know about this 'confession' you're going to tell me?"

"Yes, one other besides you right now. The former Damascus Bureau leader who raised me."

"Of course it would be the old man; you two were awfully close. He never disclosed anything to me about you unless it was okay with you or unless I already knew some things about you...He kept his promise to you and I always held him in high respect for that."

"Me too. My mother always trusted him, so he took me in once she died...But that's not my secret." You announced as Altaïr asked, "Then what is it? What were you going to say?"

"You promise you won't be angered or betrayed by my confession, even if I'm repeating the secret-keeping actions of the Templars or Al Mualim?" You asked as you hugged yourself with your arms, digging your nails into your sleeves while biting your lip hard enough to make it bleed, before Altaïr grabbed your shoulders and made a vow to you, "Would I be trying to save the Holy Land so we can get married and live in peace if I didn't care about you? Although we sometimes say or do things that make us want to tear each other's heads off, we both love each other otherwise we would've never had feelings for each other...You're nothing like the Templars or Al Mualim because you at least have the courage to stand before me and tell me the truth even when you don't know how I'll react yet and even while we're running out of time to stop our master. I have to respect and commend you for that...So please talk to me, my beloved."

"Very well, my beloved. I will speak the truth out of thanks for your kind words...I was telling the truth about my parents' love story and the arranged marriage my mother had in Damascus to the merchant. I was also telling the truth about my parents' deaths...But I know I may have left holes in the stories in order to protect myself from persecution."

"From what?"

"The reason my mother Tanaruz and father David broke off their relationship when Abdul entered into the picture wasn't just to keep the relationship secret. It was to avoid persecution as well for a crime in both the English culture in Acre and Muslim culture in Damascus."

"What crime? You and your parents didn't do anything wrong." Altaïr exclaimed, offended by what others believed and made you think about yourself and your parents, while you continued, "Maybe you think so, but others wouldn't see the same way as you because they are not wise enough to persistently hunt down the truth...They would've both been charged with adultery. My mother would've been stoned to death and my father would've been imprisoned or worse...They were just protecting each other but when my mother found out she was with child, she turned her attention away from her own safety so she could protect me. Nothing solely about her mattered anymore because I was her top priority once she found out I even existed...However, I...Ummm..." All of a sudden, you chose now to go silent as you attempted to collect yourself so you could speak again as negative thoughts started to fill your head.

'You are a worthless nothing and home wrecker because you are an illegitimate, bastard child born from the sin of adultery, YOU who destroyed three families just by being born. No one ever loved you. They just put up with you because they couldn't stand you but just wanted to spare your stupid, little feelings. This is why you are different; this is why you should never deserve love, peace, or happiness.'

This was the internal dialogue playing in your head every day since your mother Tanaruz told you the truth after the deaths of both your fathers, adoptive Abdul and biological David. It was extremely hurtful to hear, yes, but it was a battle with your own mind, one you couldn't escape because one could never escape themselves. You had made many rivals and even more enemies in your life as an Assassin, but your worst enemy was yourself. Out of all the people who could hate you, it was you who hated you the most. However, Altaïr soon snapped you out of it by calling out your name as your mind was clouded by poisonous ramblings before he asked, "(Name), what is it?...What happened?"

"I...I was born several months later and my mother passed me off as her and Abdul's daughter, leaving David out of it to keep him safe. But as you know in many cities we've visited, the neighbors are very nosy and always have to judge others...So they chose me to judge. They suspected I wasn't Abdul's child because of my light eyes and lighter tan skin, but Abdul kept denying the accusations and claimed he was my father, which wasn't true...Word soon spread and my mother and I received threats of stoning her to death while also hurting me in some way...After a while, my father became ill and died of illness because of the war of the Crusades and the fact that he was older than my mother. There was barely any food, medicine, or water anywhere so it was only a matter of time and my mother and I knew we couldn't do much. But we both agreed that despite being strict and harsh, he was a good father, provider, and husband despite the circumstances."

"But what does this have to do with your confession? And why were you and your mother receiving death threats? You two did nothing wrong." Altaïr offered his opinion as he stared into your eyes intently without losing contact for even the slightest second before you explained yourself while also repeating your inner-most thoughts that NO ONE had ever heard you say, "And you may think that...But I've always done wrong just by being born as a child from the sin of adultery my parents committed. That's why we were under constant scrutiny and receiving death threats. I'm a worthless nothing and home wrecker that deserves no love, peace, or happiness because I'm an illegitimate bastard child under the law. I've destroyed three families and both my mother and my fathers are dead..." Dropping your gaze to the ground as you tried to stop yourself from crying, you felt as though you couldn't hold it in anymore as tears poured down your face. You hated to cry in front of other people because you felt weak and alone in a state of hopelessness and darkness. It made you feel like the scared little girl you once were when you were receiving death threats or when you first learned the truth of your birth, and you hated feeling like that. So, needless to say, you felt so ashamed of crying in front of someone, especially a fellow Assassin, the freaking, famous Eagle of Masayf. Hugging yourself tightly again with your sharp nails digging into your ivory sleeves, you barely met your fiancé's eyes because you couldn't see through the cloudiness of your own tears, not even with Eagle Vision, as Altaïr stared at you in disbelief, not knowing quite what to do in this situation since he had never encountered it before. After a few seconds, you moved your hands to your face as you cried as quietly as you could muster while your shoulders shook slightly and you stumbled upon the words of your next mantra of self-hatred, "I...I just felt you deserved to finally know the truth since y-you've asked me f-f-for so long and I-I-I've never really told you, even as persistent as you were. I wa-was so scared that you-you'd be angry at me for what I am or wh-what I did...T-Th-This is what y-you're getting y-yourself into if y-you marry me, so that's why I strongly believe y-y-you shouldn't be tied down to me because y-you deserve a better woman than me...Altaïr, I-I-I'm so sorry for everything."

"I don't know what to say...let alone if I should even accept your apology." Altaïr revealed as he looked at you wide-eyed with his head shaking back and forth slowly and his mouth mumbling every word under his breath. With your eyes closed while cradled in your hands while you gave a curt nod, you waited a beat to sigh deeply before you accepted the possibility that your fiancé could possibly leave you just like everyone else did in your life. Once more, you accepted the darkness and the hopelessness back into your life again as you were prepared to brave the world alone. You had done it for fifteen years, so what was another fifteen more, maybe even the rest of your life? If it's one thing you learned by spending time alone and even with Altaïr, it's that you could definitely handle yourself out there because you knew what it took to be tough and survive out there. It may have been a lonely life, but it seemed to be the only fit that was perfect for you. Therefore, you met Altaïr's eyes of rare golden-bronze with your own (blue/green/reader's color choice) orbs, tinged by blood red in your once-white corneas, before you announced in a somber tone of submission, "If you left me after our mission and never spoke to me or saw me again, I would understand and accept your decision...So, I get it...I know why you feel the way you do and I don't blame you. I wouldn't like me either."

"No, you don't understand." Altaïr admitted as he offered his hand to you to hold. You were confused greatly because why would a man you kept important things from want to even look at you, let alone touch you? However, Altaïr was still your friend, comrade, and fiancé so you decided to take a leap of faith and trust him as you took his hand. Grabbing both of your palms in both of his, Altaïr sauntered close enough to you so your chests and booted toes were almost touching while he stared at you before he described what was really going on in his mind, "You stubborn woman...You shouldn't believe this sorcery because it's absolutely false and your neighbors had no right to poison you with such thoughts or threaten your family...So how could I ever be angry or feel betrayed when you never lied?"

"It's true what you say; I didn't lie...But I kept things from you, just like Al Mualim did to us. You mean to tell me that fact doesn't bother you?" You asked, getting even more perplexed with every sentence Altaïr gave you as coherent answers, before your fiancé shook his head, "I will admit that I do wish you would've told me the first time I asked you these questions years ago so, yes, I am a little bothered by that fact that you didn't trust me enough as your friend to do so...But not enough to hate you or leave you, especially before we get married. I couldn't leave you at an empty alter to go through life without me as your husband or the father of our many children." Of course, Altaïr would be trying to tease you in order to get a rise out of you and lighten the somber mood caused by your confession, despite not being the best-qualified person to comfort someone else or being very affectionate to anyone aside from you. This must've been why you punched him extremely hard in the bicep and called him an Arabic curse word with a small chuckle before he shoved you enough to make you take a step back before calling you an Arabic curse word back. Then, Altaïr cleared his throat and continued giving you his opinions on the entire situation as he held your hands again in both of his and stood closer to you, "You're nothing like the old man because your secrets wouldn't kill or enslave people; they wouldn't hurt anyone else except maybe the evil sorcerer who possessed you to hate yourself...But let me ask you a question and I want you to think carefully on your answer before you speak again...How could you possibly be an illegitimate child created from an act of adultery? Tanaruz and David may have had a secret love life due to cultural clashes and possible retaliation, but they WERE already married. Your mother didn't even know she was marrying Abdul until she returned home to her parents telling her such 'good' news...So it was wrong of you to be blamed and have to carry that burden for so long. But you don't have to do it anymore because the truth is finally out and you can finally be free now that I give you my forgiveness, despite there not being a need for it except to bring you peace."

"How?" You asked, unsure of what to do now in life after Altaïr forgave you, while your fiancé suggested, "You already know the answer to your own question because you've already done it...Refuse to listen to the poison that your former neighbors and this sorcerer planted in your head like a seed. Hold your head up high with confidence and prove the ones who doubt you wrong whenever they tell you that you are unable to do something."

"You're still going to insist a sorcerer cursed me to think this way?" You teased through the tears of joy that wanted to fall down your face as you smiled prettily to hold them at bay while Altaïr teased back with a friendly smirk, making his thin scar twitch against his plump lips, "Yes because only an evil sorcerer is capable of making you believe those thoughts and causing you this much internal damage...Come here." Holding his arms out to you, Altaïr beckoned you into his arms as you obeyed and wrapped your arms around your soon-to-be husband while you finally released your burden by releasing your tears as silently as you could muster for a second time. Although he wasn't really an affectionate person, he did hug you for the first time in all the time that you knew him after seeing you cry for the first time he ever witnessed with his own eyes once you disclosed what had you acting out of place for so many years since you learned the truth of your life and had your world come crashing down from the weight on your shoulders, too much weight that an eleven-year-old kid should've never had to face alone. It broke his heart to see you physically ill or hurt, but it broke him even more to see you cry when you were normally happy and as calm as a scholar praying in a perfect formation of two-by-two. Had it been a Templar or a tangible person who told you such falsehoods, he would've defended your honor and character in seconds. Heck, he would've threatened those who hurt you with his hidden blade. But the main reason this particular moment damaged him so much was because you had been tortured for fifteen years by an internal force that he couldn't save you from. Sure, his presence and that of Rauf, Malik, and Kadar pacified your racing thoughts so you could begin to heal and replace the bad with the good. But it didn't completely erase the problems and the resulting damage those said problems caused.

But now, you felt safe and at peace in the arms of the Syrian male you were engaged to as you felt him press his soft lips against your forehead ever so gently that it almost felt like nothing had touched you at all, his callused fingers lazily gliding through your scalp while his nose was buried into your hair to savor your sweet scent. After a few minutes, you heard him speak to you as he revealed the secrets from inside his own mind aloud, "So what if you're both English and Syrian? An orphan or not? A bastard child or not?...If I loved you for just your perfections, it wouldn't ever be real. But we are human and we have flaws, so I love you for everything that makes you unique, even things you hate and love in yourself." Then, reaching into his hooded robes, Altaïr pulled out a circular trinket that was secured to a rope around his neck as it created a sense of recognition from you, causing you to gasp aloud as quiet as you could muster while you realized Altaïr truly was loyal in both word and deed. Fingering the trinket as you inspected it and turned it around several times, you wrapped your free arm around your fiancé's neck under his hood to stroke the feathery locks of brown on the back of his neck before you whispered lightly, "You...Y-You kept the eagle pendant, even after all these years?"

"Yes, even though you ripped it from your rope, threw it at my chest, and called me a stubborn ass years ago...It was because of your father and mine that these pendants were made, so I don't believe it was any kind of sorcery or pure coincidence that we became comrades or lovers..." Altaïr replied as he nuzzled into the hand you moved from his hair to his prominent cheekbones with closed eyes before he grabbed both of your hands in his while he pulled your necklace forward so he could twiddle it around in his fingers. Then, with his golden-brown eyes gazing gently into your (blue/green/reader's color choice) ones, Altaïr took a deep breath as he admitted, "These pendants started our budding friendship and they will finish our marriage for as long as we both shall live, that I can promise you...I love you, my beloved (Name), and no human person or magical artifact is going to change my mind's opinions."

"Deep down, I know the truth now because I can see it in your deeds and hear it in your voice. I know you would never deceive me, even if it was for my own good or own protection...I love you too, my beloved Altaïr, because you love me despite the fact that I was being persecuted for crimes I never committed and keeping that fact from you...I love you as well for your arrogance, even if you can be a little bit of a stubborn ass sometimes. But you're my stubborn ass." You teased your fiancé as you came closer to hug Altaïr before he slapped the back of your head with a shout of "hey," causing you to giggle and punch his bicep back when he teased you back in Arabic. Then, with a passionate kiss exchanged between the two of you, you felt Altaïr push down your ivory hood as he cradled your cheeks in his large hands to make you moan softly from the way his teeth tugged against your bottom lip to suck the muscle into his mouth with a small nibble as he chuckled. In the same breath, you pushed back his own white hood, tangling your fingers in his short brown hair with slight tugs to cause groans to escape your fiancé's throat. After your short-lived kiss, you and Altaïr put your necklaces away and hopped back onto the horse as you got your minds back into the course of the mission to stop Al Mualim in Masayf. You promised each other that you would make up for the short make-out session later if you didn't die while trying to save the Holy Land.

Making it inside Masayf, you and Altaïr noticed the aura around the land was different from when you had last left it. It was full of so much green with lights of light to go around. But now, it was foreboding of darkness that was overtaking all the life there as you and Altaïr were approached by a single survivor from the village. The male came up to you slowly like a zombie hallucinating in a trance as you asked the man, "Are you alright? You seem to be the only survivor here."

"What's happened here? Where is everyone?" Altaïr demanded to know as the villager shouted like a mad man, "Gone to see the Master!"

"Was it the Templars? Did they attack again?" Altaïr interrogated the man as you and him became worried about what your master had done to your home, the place where your fiancé was born, your journey as an Assassin started, and where you planned to settle down once you married and had children. What had he already done to the Holy Land once he used the Apple of Eden? You and Altaïr were about to investigate the truth as the male villager exclaimed in a frantic trance, "They walk the path!"

"What path? What are you talking about?" Altaïr questioned in complete confusion as you pleaded with the man and tried to talk him down so he could trust you, "Please, Sir, we're running out of time. We must know the truth."

"Towards the light!"

"Speak sense!" Altaïr demanded as if he was about ready to charge the villager and slap him over and over again across the face before the man exclaimed, "There is only what the Master shows us. This is the truth!"

"You've lost your mind!"

"You too will walk the path, or you will perish! So the Master commands!" The villager responded in a frantic shout as Altaïr asked, "It was Al Mualim, wasn't it? What's he done to you?"

"Where is he?" You questioned the villager as you continued to try and get the man to trust you before the villager started walking away, totally disregarding the presence of you and your fiancé, while he announced, "Praise be to the Master, for he has led us to the light!"

Once the villager had departed far from your sight, you and Altaïr exchanged a tell-tale glance as if you were the only sane ones left alive in a world filled with insanity before you ventured up the mountain. Cautiously taking small steps, your weapons were drawn as you two were prepared for anything. If Al Mualim had already enacted his plan, then he was expecting you and Altaïr to try and stop him. Therefore, you had to trust each other and be wary of any and all danger around you as you journeyed to the fortress to intercept Al Mualim. However, after a few steps, you and Altaïr were surrounded by an entire group of six Assassins. Seeing that negotiation would not work against your former comrades, you and Altaïr had no choice but to slay every last one of them until a new wave of men surrounded you in a circle. Shouts made in a frantic trance started flying through the air as the men shouted in turns:

"As the Master commands!"

"Toward the light!"

"Kill the traitors!"

"For the Master!"

"They do not walk the path! Destroy them!"

Feeling the adrenaline rush of combat again, you and Altaïr raised your blades to your former comrades as they remained in their brainwashed state of beings. But just as they were about to overwhelm you two, you saw several men fall down dead with throwing knives in their chests or backs before you looked up towards the source before you saw two familiar faces. A young woman and young man you two had grown close to were on the hill with several other Assassins that had not been influenced by the power of the Apple of Eden as you heard the male Dai shout, "Altaïr, (Name), up here!"

Running up to the top of the mountain, you and Altaïr met up with your friends as Kadar, Rauf, and the only other girl that you befriended in the Creed ran up to you and your fiancé to hug you both. With your arms still wrapped tightly around the female Dai, (Friend's Name), you two were in complete bliss as she greeted with a teasing grin, "It's nice to see you two again. I thought you two would be dead right now what with both of your rash actions."

"Oh, no, we're fine...Where are the girls Kadar and Rauf fell in love with? They don't appear to be in the village."

"They're safe in Jerusalem. Kadar's lover (Jewish Girl's Name) and her family have been harboring Rauf's lover (Masayf Girl's Name) and her family in their home since Rauf's lover was visiting extended family anyways. But are you sure that you both don't require any medical treatment?"

"We are fine now that the cavalry arrived to save the day. Thank you for coming." You responded to your female friend and Malik's wife of eight years as you two joked around before Malik and your fiancé spoke with each other, your husband being the first to speak, "You picked a fine time to arrive."

"So it seems." Malik announced with a shrug and a small grin as Altaïr warned his best friend, "Guard yourself well, friend. Al Mualim has betrayed us."

"Yes. Betrayed his Templar allies as well."

"How do you know?" Altaïr questioned as Malik and his wife exchanged a glance to insinuate their shared thoughts before the female Dai pulled a small leather book from her satchel as she clutched her bandaged stomach and handed the item to her husband before he answered, "After we spoke, (Friend's Name) and I returned to the ruins beneath Solomon's Temple. Robert had kept a journal, filled its pages with revelations. What we read there broke our hearts, but it also opened our eyes. You were right, Altaïr. All along our Master has used us! We were not meant to save the Holy Land but deliver it to him. He must be stopped!"

"Be careful, Malik. What he's done to the others, he'll do to us given the chance. You must stay far from him."

"What would you propose? My blade arm is still strong and my men remain my own. It would be a mistake not to use us!" Malik retorted against Altaïr's direct order before you calmed your husband's worried by explaining, "We can't do this alone, Altaïr. Our best strategy would be to get all the help we can." Nodding to you in agreement because he realized that you were right, Altaïr looked to Malik again before he gave his friends their orders, "Distract these thralls then. Assault the fortress from behind. If you can draw their attention away from (Name) and me, we might reach Al Mualim."

"I will do what you ask, Dai."

"The men we face, their minds are not their own. If you can avoid killing them..."

"Yes. Though he has betrayed the tenets of the Creed, it does not mean we must as well. I'll do what I can."

"It's all I ask. Safety and peace, my friend."

"Your presence here will deliver us both." Malik replied as his men ran down the mountain to face off against former comrades before you looked to Rauf, Kadar, and (Friend's Name) as you whispered, "Please be careful. Safety and peace, Brothers and Sister."

"Safety and peace, (Name)." Kadar and Rauf answered in unison before (Friend's Name) whispered with a smirk and wink of her eye, "Good luck." After seeing your friends run off into the heat of battle, you and Altaïr ran into the fortress as you saw an entire crowd of people surrounding the inside before your fiancé whispered, "There are so many innocents. We must be careful not to harm them."

"Agreed." You nodded as you and your fiancé noticed a golden light in the gardens of the fortress, causing you two to walk towards it since it was most likely where Al Mualim was enacting his master plan. Entering the garden with your weapons drawn, you and Altaïr looked around and saw no one else inside except for you two until you saw a golden light surround both of you while you were lifted into the air. At once, you two struggled to break free while your fiancé shouted, "No! What's happening?!"

"So, the student and his novice return!" Al Mualim replied with a smirk as he clutched the Apple in his palm before Altaïr snapped back, "I've never been one to run!"

"Never been one to listen either!"

"I still live because of it."

"What will I do with you?" Al Mualim asked you and your husband-to-be as you screamed at the old man, not really giving a conscientiousness towards respect to an elder, "Release us now, you old coot!"

"Let us go!" Altaïr also added in complete disrespect with a shout before your former master smirked and shook his head, "Oh, (Name), Altaïr. I hear the hatred in your voices, feel their heat. Let you go? That would be unwise."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I found proof!" Al Mualim exclaimed as if he had gone insane and was believing in his own mad delusions before Altaïr demanded in a huff, "Proof of what?"

"That nothing is true, and everything is permitted!" Al Mualim revealed as he held the Apple above his head while he summoned up illusions of the nine men Altaïr had killed (some with your help, especially in Acre) as he commanded, "Come! Destroy the betrayers! Send them from this world!"

Hearing the familiar sound of metal being drawn from sheaves, you and your fiancé were released from your golden prison of light in the air as you two were dropped to the ground. Drawing your own weapons, you and Altaïr touched back-to-back as you asked, "Now?"

"Now!" Altaïr shouted back in response as you both played defensive, waiting for your opponents to strike first so you could use their strength against them. Spinning and slicing your opponents down, you and Altaïr managed to diminish your former master's forces before he restrained you both in golden light and hoisted you into the air again while he approached you closer. At once, your fiancé's anger got the best of you as he shouted, "Face me or are you afraid!?"

"I have stood before a thousand men! All of them superior to you! And all of them dead, by my hand! I am not afraid!" Al Mualim snapped back before your fiancé demanded, "Prove it."

"Show us what you have, you bat-crazy old man!" You snapped back at your master as you spit in his eye from where you were, not afraid to face him, as he wiped the saliva from his face before he started to get serious as he summoned eight more versions of himself so there were a total of nine opponents again. Once he was ready for attack, he released you both as you drew your weapons again before he asked, "What could I possibly fear? Look at the power I command!"

Playing on the defense again, you and Altaïr looked for where the real Al Muslim was as your fiancé used Eagle Vision to see the truth in the battle. Covering your husband's back so he could make his attack, your husband swung at his former master as the old man grunted before laughing while he teleported away. Looking frantically and running around in the gardens, you and Altaïr managed to find the old man as he threatened, "Have you any final words?"

"Do you?" You threatened back as Altaïr snapped with his own exclamation of bitter disdain, "You lied to us, called Robert's goal foul when all along it was yours as well!"

"I've never been much good at sharing." Al Mualim smirked as if he had no guilt for everything he did even though he was caught red-handed before his once-beloved student shouted, "You won't succeed! Others will find the strength to stand against you!"

"Just as we have!" You added before the old man sauntered over to you two while he explained, "And this is why so long as men maintain free will, there can be no peace."

"I killed the last man who spoke as such."

"Bold words, boy! But just words!"

"Then let me go. I'll put words into action." Altaïr taunted as Al Mualim gave a hearty laugh worthy of a crazed murderer who had no remorse before your fiancé questioned your former master, demanding an honest answer instead of more secrets or falsehoods, "Tell me, "Master", why did you not make me like the other Assassins? Why allow me to retain my mind?"

"Who you are and what you do are twined too tight together. To rob you of one would have deprived me of the other, and those Templars had to die. But the truth is, I did try. In my study, when I showed you the treasure. But you are not like the others. You saw through the illusion."

"Illusion?"

"That's all it's ever done, this Templar treasure, this Piece of Eden, this word of God. Do you understand now? The Red Sea was never parted, water never turned to wine. It was not the machinations of Eris that spawned the Trojan War, but this! Illusions, all of them!"

"What you plan is no less an illusion. To force men to follow you against their will!"

"Is it any less real than the phantoms the Saracens and Crusaders follow now? Those craven Gods, who retreat from this world that men might slaughter one another in their names? They live amongst an illusion already. I'm simply giving them another, one that demands less blood."

"At least they choose these phantoms."

"Or do they? Aside from the occasional convert or heretic?"

"It isn't right."

"Ahh. And now logic has left you. In its place you embrace emotion. I am disappointed." Al Mualim announced as he shook his head before your fiancé asked, "What's to be done then?"

"You both will not follow me, and I cannot compel you."

"And you refuse to give up this evil scheme!"

"Seems then that we are at an impasse."

"No! We are at an end!" Altaïr shouted as you added, "It's over, Al Mualim! You won't make it out of here alive and we all know it!"

"I will miss you, Altaïr. You were my very best student." Al Mualim sighed as he drew his sword forth and lunged at you and Altaïr releasing you both as you engaged in combat once more. However, Al Mualim started to play dirty as he attempted to weaken you and your husband-to-be with the Apple. You knew what he could do with the artifact, so you lunged at the man as you snatched his wrists in your palms, attempting to grab for the Apple so he wouldn't hurt Altaïr. However, this only failed as a plan as you were grabbed by the shirt and thrown back, your feet taken out from under you as you stumbled and rolled down the stairs leading to the rest of the garden. Collapsing to your flat back, your spine and neck ached with the pain of the rocks smashing against your flesh as your head started to throb from possible head trauma. Attempting to stand up again, you struggled with every push as you rolled over on your stomach so your hands were flat on the ground to push you onto your booted feet.

But just as you rose back up, you felt the golden light cocoon you in unpleasant warmth as you saw Al Mualim smirk in front of you. As more power was exerted by the old man into the artifact, you heard voices shouting at you and calling you all kinds of curses in Arabic and English before you saw illusions of people pointing and laughing at you. There were even illusions of people threatening you with death or worse as many of them were hoisting stones above their heads to strike out at you. You felt like you were in the hopeless darkness of your mind's negative side again as you shouted at the top of your lungs and covered your ears to block out the noise, but it only grew louder with every clamp-down you gave to the side of your head. Even as you screamed for the voices to stop and go away in Arabic and English, you felt like they would never stop, even if you were slain in combat, as your hope diminished and your inner light, confidence, and love started to be overtaken by evil blackness.

You couldn't even hear Altaïr screaming for your attention and demanding that Al Mualim leave you alone, cursing at the old man for hurting you, as your former master turned to his former 'prodigal son.' However, Al Mualim restrained his male student as well with the Apple as he shouted and attempted to weaken him, "Blind, Altaïr. Blind is all you've ever been, all you'll ever be!" Then, turning to you, Al Mualim smirked as he saw how damaged you were by the illusions before he shouted back at Altaïr, smirking once more, "She is blind as well because she follows you! But I must and I will show her who she really is with the Apple! I will show her that she is not as strong as she thinks she is! She is a worthless wench, an orphaned daughter of no one just like you as well as a bastard child and product of the adulterous sins of her parents who must be made to suffer and pay for even being born!"

"SHE IS NOT A BASTARD CHILD OR A WORTHLESS WENCH AND CHILD OF NO ONE!!!" Altaïr shouted above his master at the top of his lungs, which broke through the illusions this time just enough for you to hear every word as you started to focus on your fiancé. Still enveloped in golden light and hearing voices of disdain directed at you, the illusions were muffled as you held onto your beloved's every last word before he responded in another shout, "SHE MAY BE AN ORPHAN, BUT SHE IS NONE OF THOSE FALSEHOODS YOU CLAIM SHE IS! I KNOW WHO SHE REALLY IS AND SO DOES SHE, AND NO ARTIFACT IS GOING TO CONVINCE HER OF OTHERWISE!" Feeling tears start to prick your eyes, you did everything in your power to keep it together as you heard Altaïr admit, "I'm not guiltless in the internal damage that's been dealt to her and I take full responsibility for it since I know I can't unring a bell once it's chimed...But I've always had the tendency to underestimate her strength and I now see that she never gives up, which I commend her for unlike you. So go ahead, keep filling her mind with false accusations like the demented sorcerer you are! But mark my words! She will always stand her ground and fight, and she will never give up!"

"Well, we shall see, now won't we?" Al Mualim challenged as he sauntered close to you with the Apple still in hand as he continued to pump more lies and illusions into your mind before you held onto your fiancé's words. 'She will always stand her ground and fight, and she will never give up!' Those were the words in your help as you heard a familiar humming in your ears that sounded an awful lot like you when you were a little girl. The last time you heard such a sweet song come from your throat, you had just learned of your real parentage and your father's death from your mother after being told by Umar Ibn La'Ahad. Shortly afterwards that night, you were unable to sleep due to your mind spouting off insults. But your humming of a lullaby as you cried silently in your sleep was enough to calm you down so that you could fall asleep. But since you became an orphan at eleven and gave up a simple life to become an Assassin shortly afterwards, you never sang or even hummed a note because you had an image to uphold around your tough, male comrades and music reminded you too much of what you once had and willingly sacrificed. It reminded you of happy times that you knew would never come back, surrounded by those who loved you and accepted you despite what you were before you were left to go through life all alone.

But now, the humming grew louder and louder as Altaïr's true defenses of your honor before you felt yourself humming like the innocent little girl you were at one time as you stared up at Al Mualim, hands flat against the ground as you were on your knees looking up in defiance. After a few seconds, your humming grew louder as even Altaïr heard your sweet sounds for the first time, causing him to gasp and stare at you in awe at how strong and beautiful you were in this moment, before one tear from each eye slid down from your cheeks as they plopped against the stones of the garden.

Still in defiance of your former master, you slowly rose to your feet as he tried to restrain you more with the Apple. However, it was as if the artifact had no control over you anymore as you continued to hum with an awe-inspiring crescendo before you started to vocalize and harmonize with yourself once you opened your mouth wide to let the sounds escape. It was as if the inner strength to light your way trapped deep inside you started to come forth from the cracks in the darkness as you openly disobeyed your master's every command. In this moment, it was like some otherworldly entity from the heavens above had overtaken your body to make you sing so beautifully as your eyes were wide and fixated on Al Mualim in determined rage, never breaking contact even if an object was waved or thrown in your current field of vision. With your hands balled into fists by your waist, you clutched your sword's hilt with a death grip possibly capable of snapping the strongest substance used in weapon-making in the Holy Land in half before you started to feel the unpleasant warmth of the Apple's prison leave your body as the glow disappeared from sight the more that the lyrics from an old lullaby and its accompanying notes started to pour out of your vocal cords, your most powerful weapon in this moment of darkness and hopelessness, as you no longer started to feel alone now that your fiancé was here guiding you to resist. Honestly, it was as if your voice was a magical opponent to the Apple, like your invisible voice and the tangible artifact had been at war with each other for many a millennium since even before the time of ancient mythology and Biblical stories, which was evident by how your vocal cords glowed the slightest bit of the color white underneath the flesh of your throat. Again and again, Al Mualim tried to control you with his precious artifact as he tried to show you more illusions to wound you mentally and wrap you back up in the golden glow, but without his complete control of our mind, your defiance overpowered him as your white beams of light pushed back the golden rays of radiance with a melody that barely lasted an entire minute or two.

Immediately after you pushed Al Mualim backwards with your tender battle song, Altaïr felt the golden rays leave his body too as the unpleasant warmth disappeared from his person and he was dropped to the ground before you called out to your fiancé and ran to him. Crashing into each other's chests, you secured your arms tightly around his neck as he hugged you securely in his own muscular appendages before he harnessed the power of his Eagle Vision to strike at his Master after tearing down the power of the Apple's many illusions.

"Seems you don't have the control or the power, after all. I guess I was always stronger than you once thought and it only took your doubt in me to realize that." You taunted your former master as you dug your hidden blade into his gut, causing the old man to grunt in pain as the wind was knocked out of him, before Altaïr dug his own hidden blade into Al Mualim's neck while he announced, "My blade sees for me, Al Mualim. And it cuts through the darkness."

As Al Mualim collapsed to his back with blood seeping through the ebony cloth of his robes, the Apple rolled of his hand before he gasped in shock at what had just happened to him, "Impossible! The student does not defeat the teacher..."

"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine.(Nothing is true, everything is permitted)." You and Altaïr recited the Creed's motto to your former master before the old man nodded solemnly, "So it seems. You have won then. Go, and claim your prize."

"You held fire in your hand, old man. It should have been destroyed."

"Destroy the only thing capable of ending the Crusades and creating true peace? Never!" Al Mualim challenged his own student before you and Altaïr challenged him back, "Then I will."

"We'll see about that." Al Mualim nodded as he stared intently at you and Altaïr to see what you two would do before you both reached for the Apple of Eden. As your hands touched the artifact, you both heard Al Mualim's voice in your heads as his words echoed out his truest thoughts and wishes, "I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing of the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief. And he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow."

You pulled your hand away from the artifact, repulsed by its power and temptations. But in the same breath, you saw your husband-to-be standing still as he was completely enticed by the Apple before Al Mualim snapped your fiancé out of it, "Destroy it! Destroy it as you said you would!" However, Altaïr faltered in both deed and speech as he shook his head, "I... I can't..."

"Yes, you can, Altaïr. But you won't." Al Mualim announced as he breathed his last breath and died right there in front of you and Altaïr before you both approached the Apple again after leaving the old man's body behind. At once, the artifact projected a holographic map of the entire world just as Malik and his group arrived after defeating the brainwashed Assassins to buy you and your fiancé time to stop Al Mualim. Staring at the map in wondrous awe and confusion at the magic the artifact really held, you all gazed upon the golden hologram until the image disappeared.

Gathering yourselves again, you and Altaïr destroyed Al Mualim's body on a funeral pyre out of fear that he could be resurrected somehow, which earned an act of rebellion from Altaïr's former friend, Abbas Sofian. Abbas was convinced that Al Mualim was always good and not a traitor, thereby accusing your fiancé of being a liar again due to him years ago telling the truth to his friend about Abbas's father committing suicide in front of the then eleven-year-old Altaïr after selling out Umar to the Saracens. This only resulted in a near-deadly fight started by Abbas against Altaïr and imprisonment in Masayf's dungeons for both men until Altaïr was released and promoted to Master Assassin rank while Abbas was held back a year for breaking the rules. So, stealing the Apple, Abbas tried to use its power for himself until it nearly killed him, resulting in an intervention on you and your fiancé's part to take control of the artifact back. With a small apology from Abbas and forgiveness between both parties, you and Altaïr locked the Apple of Eden away so it wouldn't fall in the wrong hands and be used for selfish purposes again.

After a good amount of time had passed and the long journey you both had ended, you and Altaïr decided to rest your weary bodies and reflect on all that happened to you both. After a near-death experience for both of you during battle and temptations from the Apple, you both were exhausted in both body and mind. But now was a joyous occasion ever since you stopped Al Mualim and the Templars from executing their evil plot because you and Altaïr were going to be wed on a sunny morning in Jerusalem at the Bureau. The ceremony was to be inexpensive and small with Kadar, Rauf, Malik, Kadar's lover and her family, Malik's wife, Rauf's lover and her family, and your third father-future, the former Damascus Bureau leader, as the only ones invited. You all didn't have a lot of time to prepare for it, but none of you seemed to care about fanciness or over-extravagance. You were all simple people that didn't need a lot to be happy. As long as you were all together, alive and well, to celebrate this wonderful day, you would all be fine. With help from Malik's wife and the rest of the group, they fixed your Master Assassin uniform to remove any creases or specks of dust as they secured an ivory veil to your head and arranged your hair as nicely as they could. In truth, it was the same veil Malik's wife had worn for her wedding to you and Altaïr's best friend eight years ago when you attended as her maid of honor because you were one of the only other females in the Brotherhood. But now, she was allowing you to borrow it for the ceremony since she was your maid of honor this time and she wanted you to have your chance at safety and peace within a marriage, just as she had done with Malik. Once you were ready, you started taking deep breaths in and out through your nose to match the motions of your shoulders as you let the realization that your wedding was finally here sink in. You were no longer going to be known as just the daughter of David and Tanaruz or a female Master Assassin within the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins. You were also not going to be the fiancé of Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad anymore because you were going to trade that titled status for (Name), the wife of Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad.

After you revealed aloud that you were ready to begin the ceremony, you were led into the Bureau by the young women as they walked ahead of you before Kadar and Rauf came up to you, one man on either side of you to walk you down the aisle since neither of your fathers were alive to give you away. As soon as you were inside the large room of the Jerusalem Bureau, the smell of old books and incense reached your nostrils as you savored this moment for as long as you could until you saw Altaïr. You could tell he was inwardly nervous and trying to keep himself together even though his eyes were glassy from how beautiful and strong he thought you were right now in your wedding garb until you saw Malik whispering in his best friend's ear with a smile, calming your fiancé for the moment so he could marry you. Patting Malik's shoulder with his hand, Altaïr smiled at his best friend (and obvious best man) before Kadar and Rauf led you to your soon-to-be husband, finally giving you a kiss to your cheek as if you were their little sister before they unlaced their biceps from your elbows, as you took the callused hand of The Eagle of Masayf so you could stand in front of him. Your fiancé looked so handsome to you because the hood of his uniform was down for the first time to reveal his face as he grinned at you with so much warmth that you would never need to light a fireplace at night to sleep peacefully in the cold. This only made you blush red like the sash you wore around your waist (which just happened to be your mother's beautiful hijab, which was made by your merchant father as a marriage proposal gift, instead of the normal sash that went with the uniform so a piece of her was always with you no matter where you went in life) as you giggled innocently like a Novice Assassin before your third father figure came forward to stand in front of you and Altaïr. Aside from being a basket weaver for the Creed, he was also a man who was ordained to perform marriage ceremonies, one of which included your parents' own secret marriage, so you and Altaïr felt truly honored to have the man ordain your own secret ceremony. After truthful vows that were straight-forward but nonetheless still so sweet to hear made the women cry as they dabbed their eyes with what they had at their disposal while you were dabbing your own eyes with your sleeve, you and Altaïr were announced to be husband and wife, allowing you the chance to kiss each other to seal the deal. After celebrating the rest of the ceremony together as a large family by having a homemade meal together, you and Altaïr bid everyone goodbye before you both left for Masayf on horseback to have a honeymoon in peace alone and away from Assassin work and other human beings. Once you were back home, you and Altaïr almost couldn't keep your hands off each other even though you had to portray a professional image to your younger Assassin comrades so they wouldn't go soft in the field. To be honest, you two barely made it inside your shared bedroom in your chambers before your husband locked the door behind him, still kissing your lips and holding you to his chest with one arm, until you two tripped over the blankets and cushions on the floor in your bedroom. Laughing a little at your own cute antics, you and Altaïr remained snuggled into each other before you both engaged in the first passionate make-out session you had ever taken part in together as you consummated your marriage in the best way possible.

It seemed as though a few minutes had passed since your passionate moments had occurred as you started to feel the pain of the bruises that Altaïr had left on your hips during his slightly rough actions. Not that they were painful enough to make you two never want to do such an action again, but you knew Altaïr was a little rough with his kisses to your mouth alone. Turns out his touches during such private actions were just as equally rough. This only seemed to make you smile widely with a pink blush across your cheeks to create a pleasant warmth as you turned over in your mountain of cushions and blankets on the floor with your eyes still closed in slumber, arms wrapped tightly around Altaïr's waist. Right now, he looked the most peaceful he had been in years as his muscular chest rose and fell with every breath while his natural body heat kept you from feeling cold. In this moment, the male Master Assassin had a piece of parchment and a quill in his hand as he gave occasional glances to your sleeping form before he started tracing his quill across the canvas. What most people didn't know was that Altaïr had a secret hidden talent. He was secretly a great artist, born with the ability to draw any still object to capture it as an illustration on parchment. He never really drew often since work tended to pile up and he had to act like the manliest man in the world, but when he did express himself through art, he mainly did pictures of you and your gorgeous form whenever he thought you weren't looking. Smiling lightly at how beautiful and innocent you looked in your sleep, Altaïr managed to create the finishing touches to his artwork as he signed his name before he admired his craftsmanship from afar, holding the parchment out in front of him. Thinking that this was his best work yet, Altaïr believed that maybe doing this skill would create a new source of income for the Creed while he felt you kiss his shoulder and stroke your hands through his brown hair. Hearing him sigh deeply and groan in pleasure from how good your fingers felt in his scalp, you giggled at how adorable the man was when he was so affectionate in private. In the meanwhile, he rested his head on your shoulder to gain better kissing access to your neck before you started to hum lightly from how good his feather-light kisses felt, a rumbling of the tender notes of a song you made up on the spot creeping into your vocal cords as they exited your soft lips. At once, you two greeted each other on this lovely morning before you commented on the artwork as you took it from his grasp with the gentlest method ever imagined to avoid smudging the wet ink, "Did you draw that?" With a silent nod, Altaïr nuzzled close to your bosom as he lowered his kisses before you complimented him to build up his ego the slightest bit, "It looks good." Then, with a passionate kiss to your lips, you placed the artwork on the wooden chest that was nearby as you wrapped your arms around Altaïr's neck and lowered yourself back onto the cushions before you guided your husband's head to your bosom, which he used as the warmest, most comfortable pillow as he pressed kisses close to your beating heart. After a few moments of stroking your husband's hair, you leaned down to kiss Altaïr's forehead as he scooted up to be at eye level with you, his arm wrapped around your waist. Tangling your legs together to get closer, you both stroked each other's hair while you faced each other with a smile before you kissed each other's lips so you both could signal your descent into night-time slumber as you declared your love for each other.

You may have been confused about your life since finding out the truth of your parentage years ago. You may have believed for fifteen years that you were a worthless nobody who didn't deserve love or respect after learning the truth of your birth when you were eleven, which destroyed any confidence you held in yourself. You were determined to learn more about the father you never met by who conceived you and protected you after being sheltered for so long by your mother and adoptive father from the neighbors who dared to hurt you for being born as what you were. Even though you proved yourself and your worth as a warrior to the Creed, an entire group of mainly men with few women who fought for free will in humans, the damage inside you could not be healed until you had the support of your friends and your newlyweds husband. Not only did Altaïr open your eyes so you could learn to forgive yourself and those who had hurt you in the past, but he unlocked a strength in you that you never even knew you had and reminded you of who you were once before darkness and hopelessness overcame you to make you feel alone as you braved the world as an orphan. So now, the journey as the wife of Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad and maybe the mother of his and your many children began as you fell deep into slumber to dream pleasant thoughts of you and your husband, post-marriage in the Holy Land.


	2. Malik Al Sayf X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys this fanfiction I wrote for the sassy Bureau leader in Jerusalem in Assassin's Creed to continue this oneshot series. 
> 
> For any dialogues directly from the games, I used sound clips from this Tumblr (http://allsoundsasscreed.tumblr.com/) and a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/nDa9fnKeO5k), but I didn't plagiarize. I just wanted to stay as much with the canon and the actual dialogue as possible from what I could hear and play back repeatedly to make sure I got it right. I also couldn't hurt the Al-Sayf brothers in this one-shot series so I apologize if my story is not complete canon, but I hope the fans like the one-shot anyways.
> 
> The reader in this oneshot is also the same one from the Altaïr oneshot that was seen with Malik and the others who assisted Altaïr in the battle against Al Mualim.

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD - One-Shot Series 

________________________________________________________________

You really were a lucky gal because you knew Altaïr, Kadar, Rauf, and Malik personally as your current best friends. Correction, you knew them for as long as you could remember ever since you were a little girl training in the footsteps of your four childhood friends. Your parents supported you every step of the way, but some male members of the Levantine Assassins thought you were a hinderance to the group as a whole, given that you were a girl surrounded by numerous men. However, your friends thought differently and so did Al Mualim. After so many years of training and proving your skeptical comrades wrong, you were allowed the opportunity to be the first female Master Assassin and Rafiq of the Jerusalem branch. Aside from the occupation of teacher and scholar, you also had many other odd jobs for the Assassins that were important in their own right. Sometimes, you also worked as a female medicine woman or you traveled to other cities in the Kingdom, dressed as a female civilian to go undercover to gather vocal or written information and act as an informer for the Master Assassins that were on missions. Most of the time, you were the former to generate more income for the Brotherhood whenever you weren't the Rafiq of Jerusalem or a Master Assassin preparing to take out a target. Therefore, many who were skeptical or doubtful of you in their Brotherhood let you off the hook because you proved that you were a great asset to the group and you were dedicated to the cause of freedom and free will of humans at all costs.

Out of all your male best friends, only one caught your eye and your attention because of who he was and what he could do...Malik Al-Sayf, a beautiful name that slipped so smoothly off the tip of your tongue and put a fuzzy feeling in your heart. This was the one man that you fell for hard. He really was a good catch for a girl like you. He was always looking so handsome with short, soft hair that was a rich black, chocolate eyes that held a warmth to them only around you and his little brother but a perceived coldness towards others, and a tanned complexion that almost made you a little jealous because of how perfect it looked on him. Similar to you, he was also dedicated to the cause and one of the top of his and your age group due to his vast knowledge and sheer adoration for books. The first time you ever met him, you were both small children of about five years of age who were just learning the dictates of the Creed, and both of your hands made contact for the same book about the history of the Brotherhood of Assassins. From then on, you and him made a promise when you were young children that you would always be together no matter what. The promise was so prevalent that Malik even gave you an iron ring to wear on your left hand to match the iron ring on his right hand when you two were seven to solidify such a commitment. Shortly after giving you the iron ring, he promised to replace the rings with something better when you both were older, but you decided against it. Material gain and material possessions just weren't your thing. You did things for others for nothing in return and you liked the iron ring since Malik had made it himself (as evidenced by the minute burns on his little bandaged fingers), which had more value and memories attached to it than any high-priced ring a merchant could sell with his silver tongue enticing passers-by to take a second glance. Therefore, Malik just promised to always be there for you for as long as he lived while you also promised to do the same for him.

For as long as you could remember, the majority of the time, you two were practically attached at the hip, curled up in mountains of pillows as you sat shoulder-to shoulder or rested each other's heads in the other person's lap while exchanging books in the Masayf library with each other. There wasn't ever a time when you two WEREN'T reading. You two were always reading literature about fantasy, history, philosophy, and religion so much that it was like you would die of oxygen without the crisp pages between your fingers, the smell of old leather bindings in your nostrils, or the black, ink-induced words being scanned by your eyes. Over time, you both read enough literature to last a lifetime, despite being perceived by others as cold, distant introverts while doing so. However, it was evident by your intelligence that you two would most likely be the scholars and teachers of the Creed, maybe even potential Rafiqs or Dais in the Brotherhood. But that didn't mean you two weren't good fighters. If anyone could believe it, you managed to flip Abbas over your shoulder when he attempted to tackle you in training from behind to get back at you for beating him in a sword duel, while you were being congratulated by your friends. Let's just say the guys knew that you were no weak-willed, whiny baby who was going to put up with a lot of crap. Even the most stoic of your friends (I.E. Malik and Altaïr) actually cracked a smile and gave a hint of a chuckle when Abbas laid on the ground on his back, still stunned that someone as tiny as you flipped someone bigger like him over their shoulder as if he weighed about as much as a thin bed sheet.

Eventually, Malik got up the courage to ask you to be his female lover when you both were fifteen after getting teased by Rauf, Kadar, and Altaïr in private countless times without end. It didn't help either that they all tried to act as Malik's wingman without his knowledge in order to get you to take a hint. You did promise to always be together, so it was no shock that someone who was that attached to you would fall for you just as you did them. Often times, you and him as a dating couple would read together in the library to each other to pass time and to hear each other's voices. More often than not, even though Malik was not a real touchy-feely person, you were sitting in Malik's lap with his arms wrapped around your waist while you flipped the pages for him to continue onto the next part of the book. Sometimes, Malik would lay his head in your lap as you would read to him and stroke your fingers through his hair, but most times, your lover would let you sit in his lap as he read to you. Just the sound of his accented voice alone soothed you and had you fixated on whatever he was reading to you, even if you were too tired to stay awake another minute longer or too angry at an arrogant member of your Creed.

When you were eighteen, you were shocked by one action Malik enacted towards you IN FRONT of Rauf, Kadar, and Altaïr: A marriage proposal on one knee. However, he didn't give a sappy confession of love like a famous bard or poet speaking in fancy tongues. Oh no! Malik was blunt like a dull sword. Literally, he said, "Well, we've been together for this long and we've kept our promises since we were seven. Please be my wife, (Name)." To be fair, you weren't expecting a big proposal or sappy words from Malik in the first place, but you didn't care because you wouldn't have him any other way. He was who he was and you were who you were; no one could change that fact. Bottom line was that you were soon marrying this man, your best friend and comrade, and you would be his wife and maybe the future mother of his children. And you and Malik weren't expecting a gigantic reception either, but Kadar managed to get the whole Brotherhood involved somehow. It was a small and low-priced wedding in the fortress of Masayf, but the entirety of the Levantine Assassins were present as both marriage witnesses and free protection. Even Altaïr officiated the ceremony while your other best friends acted as groomsmen to you and Malik. Sure, you were both wearing your Assassin robes for the ceremony, but you were still wearing a veil. That had to count for something. Shortly after the ceremony, you and Malik departed on horseback to act as disguised informers in Jerusalem for other Master Assassins who were sent to take out high-profile targets. After successfully completing your mission, you two retired to a more private place in the Assassin's Bureau to celebrate your "honeymoon" in peace, both of you doing your best not to wake the neighbors or the old Rafiq.

That was the man you fell in love with and the man you eventually married, the same man who was still married to you now, even after he went to Solomon's Temple without you. Although Altaïr lost his honor and high rank, Kadar nearly lost his life, and Malik nearly lost his right arm, it didn't change the fact that you still loved your husband of eight years. Even when he was harsh and distant due to insecurities and doubt, you informed him that you still loved him and that you would always be there for him, arm or no arm; you were just happy that he was still alive. You were also thankful to God that Kadar was alive, but it took you a short while to forgive Altaïr for his carelessness and pride. Although Malik refused to forgive Altaïr so easily right after the events of Solomon's Temple, which resulted in some arguments between you and Malik, your husband knew you were very forgiving but only offered second chances to those who were worthy of them. He also knew that Altaïr was still one of your best friends and he officiated your wedding, so why would you have any reason to be so cross with him? Eventually, you two were able to reconcile and make up in the best way possible in Jerusalem as the co-Rafiqs.

So here you were on a beautiful morning in Jerusalem, the Sun piercing through the curtains on the small window to awaken you from your deepest slumber of sweet dreams as your (eye color) orbs fluttered open. You were currently asleep in your mountain of pillows with a single blanket around you, as you heard soft snoring beside you. Staring into the face of your beloved, you watched his shoulders and back rise and fall with every inhale and exhale as the blanket fell further down to reveal more of his body, which made you blush red as you stared at his naked body before trying to conceal your breasts with the blanket. At once, you almost squeaked cutely as his right arm tightened around your waist, his free arm under a pillow to support his head. He looked so much at peace as you noticed his eyebrows and lips twitch up to insinuate he was having good dreams while his legs tangled with yours to anchor you closer to him. You knew he was a light sleeper due to his occupation and he tended to roll over in his sleep, kicking off the covers at some point in the night if he started out laying on his left side. But if you were there, you prevented him from rolling off the bed because you always slept with your legs tangled, facing each other with your arms wrapped around each other or sleeping on the chest of the other person with their arms wrapped tightly around the waist of the person on top. But he also knew you were a light sleeper too and you only rolled over whenever you started out on your right side, minus the kicking the covers off the bed.

After a few seconds, you smiled again as you clutched the sheet to your chest before you started stroking your fingers through Malik's hair, the lazy motions almost making you fall asleep again. The softness between your callused fingers was like a thousand eagle feathers that had fallen from the sky and his face twitched in relaxation the more you touched him, so of course you loved every second of it. As your eyes began to close again, you felt someone tuck a strand of hair behind your ear before you felt tender kisses against your neck and shoulders, which snapped you awake. There was Malik, resting up on his flattened palms as if he were about to do push-ups while he moved his multitude of kisses up and down your body in a pattern from your neck to your shoulders and finally to the dips and curves of your back. But, as you started to turn over to face him, Malik pressed his lips feverishly against your body in the following pattern from top to bottom: Neck, shoulders, clavicles, the swell of your bosom, and back again. All the feather-light touches of his soft lips against your (tone color) flesh made you blush and giggle at how ticklish they were as you heard the rumblings of chuckles erupt from your husband's chest as he was pressed tightly against your body, creating a pleasant warmth to keep out the cold. He was even commenting on you as he was whispering between every kiss, "You're so cute...I'm so glad I married you...You're beautiful and amazing..." Even though he was not beating around the bush with poetic speech or sappy tones, his words were still so sweet that they almost brought you to tears, which only made you compliment him back as you whispered back in-between the kisses you exchanged against your husband's shoulders and lips, "And you're so kind and handsome...I'm glad you finally asked me to be your wife as well..."

It seemed as though no time had passed between you two since you both first woke up this morning before Malik caught you in a passionate kiss to your lips. Several minutes passed as your lips locked against each other, never letting go as Malik caught your bottom lip between his teeth, sucking lightly before releasing the pink muscle to allow you a chance to breathe again. This only made you moan and grasp your fingers in your husband's hair as he moaned in unison with your sweet sounds as you sucked lightly on his bottom lip as well. You two continued to kiss each other lazily with much passion until the two of you needed to catch your breath. Huffing lightly with your arms wrapped lightly around the waist of the other spouse and your foreheads resting against each other, you and Malik pecked each other's lips again before you two bid each other good morning and got out of bed. As slow of a process as it was due to you pulling Malik back down into the bed every time he tried to rise up from its comforting plushness and warmth, you two managed to get dressed for the morning since any Master Assassin could be arriving at any time for a mission to take out a target. However, that didn't mean that Malik promised to make up for getting up so early later with you once you two were done assisting a fellow member of the Creed. It also didn't mean that you two wouldn't exchange sweet kisses across each other's lips, cheeks, or shoulders whenever you were working on a map together or reaching for an item from the shelf. In private with just the two of you was the only time you could engage in such actions without much suspicion or teasing from your friends.

Sure enough, hours after your passionate moments the night before and this morning, Altaïr was the one who walked right through the door as he was sent by Al Mualim on a mission to assassinate his final target out of the nine to earn back his honor and rank, Robert de Sable, the same man who nearly killed your brother-in-law and almost made Malik an amputee survivor. Of course, he teased you two because Malik was rocking you back and forth as if you were dancing, kissing your shoulder through your black jacket as you two were working on a map. Standing in the doorway, Altaïr was clapping slowly as he shook his head with a smirk, "Well, well, well...I see the honeymoon stage of your relationship still isn't over."

"And it never will be. At least I have a wife and future mother of my children, Novice." Malik retorted sarcastically to his old friend as he hugged you around the waist before you teased your best friend with a giggle, "Yeah, Altaïr! Maybe if you found yourself a woman, you wouldn't be so salty to everyone."

With a chuckle at the light-hearted playfulness you all shared, Malik greeted Altaïr politely with the utmost respect as the Master Assassin came in front of the desk, "Safety and peace, Altaïr."

"Upon you as well, Brother, and you too, Sister." Altaïr nodded before Malik started to carry on a conversation with the man while you started rearranging things on the wooden shelves, trying to put everything back in the tidy order your husband had it before. You listened intently in case you felt the need to comment as your husband spoke first, "Seems fate has a funny way with things."

"So it's true then. Robert de Sablé is in Jerusalem." Altaïr nodded solemnly before you turned around, more ink in hand to give to Malik for his cartography as your husband thanked you for your help, while you answered with your own solemn nod, "Yes, he is. Malik and I have seen him and his Templar soldiers in the city. It's a wonder we weren't seen and executed on the spot."

"Only misfortune follows that man. If he's here, it's because he intends ill. I won't give him the chance to act." Altaïr promised as he grabbed your hand from across the counter before Malik gave a small warning for his friend to heed, "Do not let vengeance cloud your thoughts, Brother. We both know no good can come of that."

"I have not forgotten; you have nothing to fear. I do not seek revenge, but knowledge."

"Truly you are not the man I once knew." Malik responded as you and your husband exchanged a nod of agreement with faces full of realization to the truth as your friend explained, "My work has taught me many things, revealed secrets to me. But there are still pieces of this puzzle I do not possess."

"What do you mean?" Malik questioned as you and him were curious to understand the meaning behind Altaïr's words, which he clarified for both of you as quickly as he could gather his thoughts properly, "All the men I've laid to rest have worked together, united by this man. Robert has designs upon the land, this much I know for certain. But how and why, when, and where, these things remain out of reach."

"Crusaders and Saracens working together?" Malik exclaimed with a fearful expression as you exchanged a look with your husband while gasping, "I've never heard of such a thing, especially not during a war such as this."

"They are none of these things, but something else. Templars." Altaïr explained further as Malik carried on a conversation with his friend, "The Templars are a part of the Crusader army."

"Or so they'd like King Richard to believe. No, their only allegiance is to Robert de Sablé, in some mad idea that they will stop the war."

"You spin a strange tale."

"You have no idea, Malik. But tell me where they've been seen. I should be after him before he slips away." Altaïr urged of you and your husband as your beloved spouse informed his friend of where to begin his search, "Three places I can say for certain...West of here, near both a guard tower and a hospital. And to the southwest, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. See what you can learn. I will do the same."

"I'll be quick as I can." Altaïr promised you both as Malik pleaded, "Stay safe, my friend." Coming around the side of the desk, your maternal instinct and friendly affection started to take over all rationale in your conscious mind as you became touchy-feely and emotional. Normally, you were business-like and serious, ready to take orders to kill a target or be an informer for another member of the Creed. But there were rare occasions where you were quite affectionate and filled with passionate emotion, albeit only around your husband, your younger brother-in-law, or your best friends from childhood. Why this happened to you today of all days, you didn't know. However, you didn't regret it one bit as you tightly hugged your and Malik's best friend to your bosom, pressing the most feather-light kiss to his forehead for good luck while you begged, "Please be careful, Altaïr. There are more guards on high alert now than ever before in Jerusalem. We'd hate for something bad to happen to you...You really have changed for the better since Solomon's Temple, for the Assassin's cause." Closing his golden eyes to savor your tender touch, Altaïr held one of your callused hands softly in his own callused palm against his cheek while he looked straight into your eyes with an honest promise leaving his lips, "I will be, (Name)." With a second tender hug exchanged among the two of you, Altaïr let you go as you made your way back to Malik's inviting, warm embrace behind the counter before he remarked with a chuckle, "You really did choose a remarkable woman for a wife, Malik...Kind and strong."

"It seems I did and I thank God for her every day." Malik nodded to his friend as you grinned sweetly and hugged Malik around the waist from behind, "As do I." With a small smile from the stoic Master Assassin's face, Altaïr left the Bureau in haste to investigate about the whereabouts of his enemy while you and Malik continued to work on your maps together.

As soon as Altaïr was finished with his investigations, he returned to the Bureau to find Malik working on one of his many maps while you were reading through an Assassin texts you could find in the many books you kept in Jerusalem before your husband gave a sarcastic remark, "You have the scent of success about you, Brother." This only made you giggle lightly as you almost dropped your book while Malik gave a small smile towards you due to how cute your laugh sounded (despite the fact that you snorted like a pig when you laughed too hard) before Altaïr shook his head with a small hint of a smirk while he explained, "I've learned much about our enemy."

"Share your knowledge, then. Let us see what can be done with it." Malik commanded as Altaïr divulged everything he learned while walking amongst the people in the city, "Robert and his Templars walk the city. They've come to pay their respects to Majd Addin. They'll attend his funeral, which means so will I."

"What is this, that Templars would attend his funeral?" Malik questioned, confused beyond belief despite being so intelligent, as you shook your head in disbelief as well,  
"It makes absolutely no sense. Crusaders attending the funeral of a Saracen, two mortal enemies respecting each other during the middle of a war. It's unheard of." Even though it sounded strange, Altaïr continued to explain himself as he looked into you and Malik's eyes of brown and (eye color) with his own golden orbs, "I've yet to define their true intentions, though I'll have a confession in time. The citizens themselves are divided. Many call for their lives. Still, others insist that they are here to parlay, to make peace."

"Peace?!" You and Malik exclaimed in unison while Altaïr nodded, "I told you, the others I've slain have said as much to me." This only made Malik shake his head in puzzlement as he turned to remark to his friend, you staying silent in the meanwhile, "That would make them our allies, and yet we killed them."

"Make no mistake, we are nothing like these men. Though their goal is noble, the means by which they achieve it are not...At least, that's what Al Mualim told me."

"So what is your plan?"

"I'll attend the funeral and confront Robert."

"The sooner, the better." Malik replied as he placed a white feather on the table for Altaïr to grab. Once the Master Assassin had the famous calling card, Malik looked towards his friend as he nodded, "Fortune favor your blade, Brother."

"Good luck, my friend." You grinned as you meant every word before Altaïr started to leave the Bureau. However, he came back into the room with a solemn look on his face as you took notice while Malik was preoccupied with his map. At once, you looked concerned for your best friend as you asked, "Altaïr, what's the matter? Is everything alright? You look troubled."

"(Name), Malik. Before I go, there's something I should say." Altaïr replied in all seriousness as Malik put down his map-making tools and turned to his friend while he commanded, "Be out with it."

"I've been a fool." Altaïr admitted as you and Malik looked at each other in surprise, confused by what you had just heard come out of your best friend's mouth. There was no way that the famous Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad, the talented and prideful Master Assassin, just admitted that he was wrong! There couldn't be any way that just happened! But there it was, Altaïr was admitting that maybe Malik was the wiser of the men in this group of friends and was seeking an apology. At once, you and Malik came closer to the front of the desk to confront Altaïr, who had his head lowered as if he committed an awful sin and was about to face punishment, before your husband remarked, "Normally I'd make no argument, but what is this? What are you talking about?"

"All this time, I never told you I was sorry. Too damn proud...You nearly lost your arm because of me, nearly lost Kadar. You had every right to be angry." Altaïr admitted as tears nearly came to your eyes from hearing the guilt and the hurt in your friend's voice as he admitted his mistake during the events of Solomon's Temple. Normally, you didn't get this emotional, but this time you just couldn't help it as you watched Altaïr patiently wait for Malik to say something, anything, in response to such a heart-weary confession. At once, Malik complied as he shook his head with a sigh, "I do not accept your apology."

"I understand." Altaïr nodded sadly as your heart literally broke for both of these men and more tears pricked your eyes before he started to leave the room. However, Malik stopped him as he shook his head again, "No. You don't." With an exchange of glances between yourself and your husband, you nodded and gestured your stretched right palm to Altaïr as you reached for his left hand before you held your husband's right hand with your free hand. You knew exactly what your husband meant by his words and you knew just what he was about to say. Therefore, you nodded and pleaded with him as you grinned with tears pricking your eyes, "Go ahead and tell him what you told me that night we discussed what happened in Solomon's Temple...He deserves to know the truth; he's carried the burden long enough."

"Very well, habibti. You've always been right about matters such as these." Malik nodded as he kissed your temple before he turned to his friend to reveal what had been weighing on his heart since the last time you and him argued about Solomon's Temple and Altaïr's fate. It seemed as though a huge relief was lifted off your husband's shoulders as he sighed deeply like he hadn't breathed fresh oxygen in decades before he admitted, "I do not accept your apology because you are not the same man who went with me into Solomon's Temple. And so you have nothing to apologize for."

"Malik..." Altaïr gasped, unsure of what to think about this sudden confession, as Malik admitted his own mistakes from his youth, "Perhaps if I had not been so envious of you, I...would not have been so careless myself. I'm just as much to blame." However, your best friend didn't want to hear any of it as he shook his head, "Don't say such things."

"We are one. As we share the glory of our victories, so too should we share the pain of our defeat. In this way we grow closer, we grow stronger." Malik admitted as he gave a small grin to his best friend before Altaïr nodded, feeling his own sigh of relief wash over him and the weight of such guilt be torn away from him, as he remarked, "Thank you, brother."

"Rest if you need to, Altaïr, that you might be ready for what lies ahead." Malik advised as he gestured towards the room nearby with his free hand while you came around the side of the desk to hug your best friend, who accepted the tender embrace even though he was not a touchy-feely person similar to Malik. One thing that was known was that you were a hugger and you always gave the best ones, but they were only reserved for your most-trusted friends in the Levantine Brotherhood. Therefore, Altaïr accepted your hug, no matter how long it would last, as he put his lips to your ear to whisper a grateful "thank you" in Arabic. You only replied with a simple "You're welcome" back in Arabic before the two of you let go so the Master Assassin could prepare for his mission while you and Malik decided to retire for the night as well.

Once back in the privacy of your bedroom, you started to undress a little as you peeled your black jacket and weapons from your person, leaving you in just your undergarments and your husband's warm, over-sized black jacket as you stole it from the rack it lay on. But it wasn't long before you felt strong tan arms wrap around your waist, suddenly pulling you backwards as you tripped over your normally-graceful feet before you were laid on the bed. Eventually, you felt Malik wrap his arms around your waist as he crushed you to his naked chest, burying his face in your hair to savor the sweetened scent it carried while he stroked his fingers through it lazily with a pleasant smile adorning his face before placing a feather-light kiss against your temple. At the same time, you buried your nose into your husband's jacket sleeves as you took notice of the various ancient spices he used as a sort of 'cologne' before you snuggled contently into his warm embrace, laying your head on his shoulder as you pressed a feather-light kiss against his neck. With a small chuckle, your husband looked to you as he asked, "Why is it you always look so cute without even trying or why you always seem to have a good sense of deep, personal matters?"

"Beats me...Although I'm glad you finally made up with Altaïr. He deserved to let go of that pain."

"That he did. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. I guess it took the right time and the right wife to help me see past my stubbornness in order to forgive him." Malik replied as he kissed your soft lips again, clutching to his ebony jacket as it hung loosely against your tinier frame while you flexed your fingers in his midnight hair, before he admitted in-between kisses, "I love you."

"I love you too." You admitted in-between your own kisses as you sat up slightly and lowered your husband's head with your hands to press a kiss against his forehead. Eventually, you and him were satisfied as you laid in your husband's arms with your arms clutching his waist while your head was in the crook of his neck, his sharp chin anchoring you to him as it rested against your temple.

The next day, Altaïr left the Bureau immediately to end Robert de Sablé while you and Malik went about your daily duties. However, as quick as a flash, you and Malik could hear alarm bells chiming and ringing over the whole circumference of the city while you both heard multitudes of guards shouting and sprinting through the streets, their armor clinking like silverware in a drawer. All in all, you were relieved that Altaïr and Malik had forgiven each other the other day, but you were more worried for your best friend because this mission was the most dangerous he had ever been on. You were worried he had been caught and killed by Templars and the Jerusalem guards. However, your worries were calmed as you heard a thump and saw Altaïr run into the room, shouting, "It was a trap!"

"I had heard the funeral turned to chaos. What happened?" Malik asked before you looked in concern at your friend while you interrogated him, "You okay, my friend? Do you require medicine?"

"Yes, I'm fine, (Name). I don't require medicine, but I appreciate the offer." Altaïr answered you with a kind grin to insinuate that he was really okay as he continued to speak with your husband about the mission, "Robert de Sablé was never here. He sent another in his stead. He was expecting me."

"You must go to Al Mualim!" Malik urged with desperation as Altaïr chose not to heed the advice while he started to explain more of himself to you and your husband, "There's no time. She told me where he's gone, what he's planned. If I return to Masayf, he might succeed. And then we'll be destroyed."

"We have killed most of his men. He cannot hope to mount a proper attack." Malik remarked as he deciphered what his friend meant before he nearly choked as he replayed more of what his friend had said. At once, he had to make sure he heard Altaïr right as he interrogated him a second time, "Wait, did you say 'she'?"

"Yes, it was a woman. Strange, I know." Altaïr admitted with a nod as if he was being called a lunatic and was trying to prove he was completely sane while you gave your own wise remark, "Actually, it doesn't sound strange at all, Altaïr. It would only make sense for the Templars to use women in their ranks, considering we have female allies and Assassins within our Creed."

"But that's for another time. For now, we must focus on Robert. We may have thinned his ranks, but the man is clever. He goes to plead his case to Richard and Saladin...To unite them against a common enemy: Against us." Altaïr revealed solemnly as you and Malik gasped. Maybe Altaïr had misinterpreted the evidence he had heard from the Templar woman or he had really gone insane as your husband exclaimed, "Surely, you're mistaken! This makes no sense. These two men would never-"

"Oh, but they would! And we have ourselves to blame. The men I've killed, men on both sides of the conflict, men important to both leaders. Robert's plan may be ambitious but it makes sense and it could work." Altaïr confessed as he realized his mistake before you shook your head and prayed inwardly. You were sure things would work themselves out, but it was a slim chance to say the least as you sighed, "Then we must have hope that we can still do something."

"Look, Brother, things have changed. You must return to Masayf. We cannot act without our Master's permission. It could compromise the Brotherhood...I thought you had learned this..." Malik shook his head as he turned his back on his friend, still contemplating what the Master Assassin truly meant and had planned, while your own best friend raised his voice to your husband, "Stop hiding behind words, Malik! You wield the Creed and its Tenets like some shield! He's keeping things from us, important things! You're the one who told me we could never know anything, just suspect. Well, I suspect this business with the Templars goes deeper."

"He's right." You exclaimed as both men turned to stare at you as if you just grew two devilish horns on the side of your head before you agreed with your best friend, "Our master has been acting a little bit strangely since you succeeded at Solomon's Temple, habibi. And you did say that the last time he was here...Call it women's intuition or favoritism or whatever you will, but I suspect the same thing and I'm not even in the field."

Nodding to you in gratitude for taking his side, Altaïr turned to both of you as he announced his plan, "When I'm done with Robert, I'll ride for Masayf that we may have answers. But perhaps you and (Name) could go now."

"We can't leave the city!" Malik snapped as he whipped around to face his friend before Altaïr made his own wise suggestion, "Then walk amongst its people. Seek out the service of those I slew. Learn what you can. You call yourself perceptive, perhaps you'll see something I could not."

You were sure your friend was right and you wanted to help so badly, but at the same time, you understood your husband's doubts since Solomon's Temple and you wanted to investigate together with him. Therefore, you stayed silent to let Malik choose for himself what he wanted to do as he shook his head with a solemn tone, "I don't know, I must think on this."

"Do as you must, my friend. But it's time I ride for Arsuf. Every moment I delay, our enemy gets one step ahead of me." Altaïr admitted as Malik turned around and urged his friend, "Be careful, Brother."

"Good luck, Altaïr. You make that Templar pay for all his crimes against the Holy Land." You remarked with a solemn nod as you practically hissed your demand while the Master Assassin nodded back, "I will be and I will do so, I promise." And just like that, Altaïr climbed out of the roof of the Bureau and made his way to Arsuf just as he promised while you were left behind to steak with your husband.

After a few beats of silence, your husband circled his callused thumb around the ebony soul patch at the end of his sharp chin, his mind racing in thought. You knew Malik too well because you grew up together as kids, so you knew that Malik only did this when he was in deep thought without a quick decision ready to go or when he was anxious. At once, you rubbed your husband's right bicep with your gentle hand as he snapped out of his contemplation to smile at you softly before his face contorted back into its usual stoic gaze. You knew he was afraid and troubled, so you confronted him about it. Lowering your hand down to his, you massaged his hand slowly as you questioned, "So, you're not going to offer our friend help, huh? He's going to do this alone without a team, is that it?"

"It's not that I don't want to help him; Altaïr makes a valid argument. That much is certain...I just don't know what to believe, and I do not wish to compromise the Creed or put you in danger...If we don't uphold our own teachings, how are we any different from the Templars? We'll be no better than murderous mercenaries who fight for no cause except their next satchel of coins." Malik explained as you held your arms out for him like a mother ready to comfort her hurt child. The Muslim man didn't know how you managed to convince him to accept confirming gestures or go along with whatever reckless scheme you had, but you were his reckless wife and his rock. So here he was, accepting your warm embrace as he knelt down to your level so his head was on your shoulder while you wrapped your smaller arms around him tightly. Kissing his forehead and gliding your fingers soothingly through his hair, you felt your tense husband suddenly relax as you shushed him before you remarked, "I know you're afraid that something bad will happen, just like at Solomon's Temple. I know you're afraid of losing me, your own wife and the future mother of your children. I know you just learned to forgive Altaïr and you're still ensuring that you can trust that he's a changed man...All of those are valid arguments to not help him and to doubt your beliefs, to question your own judgement...But it wouldn't hurt to try, habibi. All we would need to do is investigate and see what we find and then make a logical conclusion from there to guide the rest of our choices. Altaïr is our friend, and he may be arrogant and stupid, but he's no liar. What would he have to gain by lying to us?" With a soft sigh, you raised your husband's chin up so his chocolate eyes could meet your (eye color) ones as you suggested, "Let's just see what happens, together...If we do nothing, how are we any better than the Templars who betray the men they swear to protect and serve? I believe Altaïr is trying to save our Creed, not compromise it. So if our current Tenets hinder us from protecting the Creed, then we must disobey them in order to find the truth. I'd rather die for a cause that I choose than follow a leader who blinds me to the truth...Real Assassins find the truth to its fullest..."

"Nothing is true..." Malik nodded in agreement as he repeated the most basic Tenet of the Creed before you nodded back as you finished the motto, "Everything is permitted..." After realizing that you were right, Malik hugged you closer to him again as you reciprocated the gesture before he interrogated you with a pleasant chuckle, "How is it my own wife became wiser than me?"

"Because she learned from her husband's wise teachings." You retorted with a giggle as you and Malik pressed kisses to each other's lips before you suggested, "We need the help of Brothers who will believe us. Kadar and Rauf may be our best bet."

"I know of a few others that may help us. Where is my brother and our friend?" Malik asked you as the both of you got dressed for a long journey while you packed valuable supplies before you answered, "Last I heard, your brother wrote me a letter days ago. He said that they were in Damascus assisting some Master Assassins on a mission." Nodding his head, Malik put up his hood to conceal his identity as you pulled your hair back into a braid while you did the same and listened to your husband announce, "Then we know what to do once we investigate around here. We ride for Damascus, then Masayf."

"Agreed." You nodded back as you and your husband escaped out of the Bureau through the roof and made it onto the streets of Jerusalem. With those words being said, you and Malik decided to investigate around the city as you walked together, hand-in-hand to avoid any kind of sudden separation.

Eventually, you and Malik found an empty bench to sit down upon as you listened in on some conversations that were nearby from citizens who attended the funeral of Majd Addin, which gave you some insight into the truth. Some citizens wanted to see Altaïr brought to justice and executed for killing the man, but others believed that the Assassin doing his job was a good thing. And there were a group of third-party bystanders who felt indifferent to the whole situation. From what you and Malik could deduce, it seemed as though maybe Altaïr could be right. Maybe Majd Addin, Robert, and the others that he killed were all connected in a perfect web better known as the Order of the Knights Templar. Why else would a Crusader from France go to a funeral for a Saracen unless they were somehow affiliated with each other?

To get some more answers, you and Malik decided to go back to the source of why Al Mualim was acting strangely and where your husband started to have the first seeds of resentment planted towards Altaïr. Exiting the city peacefully without arousing suspicion and open conflict with the guards, you two immediately found a nearby horse and rode back to Solomon's Temple, where it had been abandoned for a while since your husband, younger brother-in-law, and best friend were last here. Once near the fortress, you and Malik tied the horse up to a post outside the ancient structure before you two ventured inside, still holding hands while your hands were hovering over your weapons.

Journeying up ladders and hopping across posts to make sure you two were unseen (despite the fact that the temple was entirely empty), you and your husband of almost a decade made it to the same room where Kadar nearly lost his life, Malik nearly lost his arm, and Altaïr actually did lose his honor and high rank. Just gazing at the scene made Malik shudder and shiver as he clutched the shoulder that was nearly amputated, which made you offer your gentle touch to him as you patted his shoulder with a small smile adorning your face. Taking your hand in his, Malik smiled back at you before you two hopped down to the ground to take a look around the temple.

Walking around and meticulously looking for any clues that could've been left behind, you and Malik thought that you had come up short without any other options to prove your best friend's honesty. However, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a leather-bound journal in the corner of the room as it contained a crimson symbol, the infamous insignia of the Templars. You don't know why you looked over there specifically; you just happened to turn your head that way. Whatever the case was, you sauntered over to the corner as you picked up the book and dusted it off with a quick sweep of your hand and a gentle breeze from your pursed lips. At once, you heard your husband's accented tone carry well across the room as he questioned you, "(Name), have you found anything?"

"Maybe it will be of interest to both of us...It looks like a private journal for a Templar." You answered as you heard Malik come up from behind you to gaze at the book before you scanned through the reading material carefully. The pages were yellowed and weathered, so the slightest rough action could rip the contents of the journal if you weren't careful. As you scanned through the journal, you noticed a familiar name as you announced, "And from the look of this, it appears to be Robert de Sablé's. His name is inscribed on the front page."

Scanning the pages for any information that could help plead Altaïr's case, you and Malik read through a multitude of pages to find some answers to your many questions until you came across the last entry. It was the most recent one because it was written right after the events of Solomon's Temple. According to the infamous Grand Master, he detailed a plot by a key member of the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, a devious ploy in which the man was to retrieve the Apple of Eden so he could help save the world from the war of the Crusades, or so he claimed to others. But Robert could see through the smoke and mirrors. What the traitor was really planning to do was use the Apple to take control of the Holy Land for himself as its "self-appointed king." That traitor was none other than Al Mualim!

Shock wasn't the only emotion you and Malik were feeling, but that wasn't even enough to explain what was going though both of your heads. You two couldn't believe it! Your own leader, the man who practically taught and raised you two as if you were his own, the man who claimed to care for you...He had just KEPT IMPORTANT THINGS from you! He was working for the Templars, your earthly enemy, as one of many leaders! THIS WAS THE ULTIMATE ACT OF BETRAYAL!!! And your own best friend, a young man who was reckless and arrogant at one time in his life and nearly made you and Malik lose everything you cared about in Solomon's Temple, he was telling the TRUTH! He was ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!! Al Mualim was lying the whole time and he was acting strangely! It was like both you and Malik were living a lie! You claimed to be Assassins of honor who fought for everyone's equality and freedom and yet you worked for a dishonorable man who planned to take all of those treasured values, values you fought for and would die for, away with an ancient, magical artifact. It was like you and Malik had gone through a religious experience, had gone into the light in astral forms and then suddenly snapped back into your earthly bodies. It was like you both had an internal awakening in order to receive a better understanding of the meaning of human life and existence! The truth cut into you both so deeply that you two couldn't even speak even though you two were both speaking the same thing. Now, you knew without a shadow of a doubt what to do and how to convince your fellow brothers to believe you. With this journal, you two now had the answers in case any and all questions came your way.

Placing the journal in your satchel, you secured the bag to make sure its contents wouldn't fall out before you slung it over your shoulder so it rested against your hip. But as you and Malik sauntered out of the temple, you two heard footsteps as you saw a figure in white with a red helmet coming towards you. Drawing your weapons, you two prepared to fight as the man took notice of you and your husband, recognizing you immediately. With a shout of "Assassins!" in English before he started shouting things in French (which sounded like incoherent gibberish to you and Malik since you only both understood Arabic, English, and some of the Jewish language), the Templar started to make his advance as he ran at both of you with a leap. But you two were ready for him as you both jumped out of the way before you deflected his sword blows. After a few seconds, three more Templars who had heard their comrade's shouts came barging into the Temple as they lunged at you and Malik. Blocking and grabbing opponents, offense and defense, right foot and left foot, slashing and stabbing...This was the dance of battle that seemed never-ending between two Assassins and four Templars. After a while, you and Malik started to feel a loss in stamina, but you and him weren't going to give up, even if the Templars kept kicking your guts or continued to grab you two and push you around like weightless rag dolls.

However, as you slashed your opponent, bringing the numbers of the enemy down to two, you noticed a Templar sneaking up towards Malik's blindside as he readied two swords, one in each palm, to plunge both into your husband's back. Without a clear strategy but armed with only your sword and your love for Malik, you leapt into action as you across the wood planks hanging on the ceiling before you leapt down. Within seconds, the sword was pulled back and lunged forward just as you gave a battle cry, nearly missing the blade by mere inches as it almost sliced your neck. Grunting as he leapt towards you, the Templar extended his arm out as you rolled out of the way, spinning around in a perfect circle as you brought your sword over your head and down again. With a sharp clang, you and your enemy watched as you snapped the metal blade from the Templar's hilt with your own weapon before you elbowed the man in the neck, making him lose his oxygen for a few moments as his helmet flew off. With a smirk, you prepared to face him head-on as he caught his breath and gritted his teeth at you like a rabid dog baring his fangs. With a snarl, the man managed to break your defense with his broken sword and his non-defective weapon as he circled your arm around to leave you wide open for attack. However, you were smarter as you rolled out of the way and kicked your opponent in the knee, knocking him to the ground. However, this man had a trick up his sleeves as he pushed against a stone pillar that was near Malik just as you threw a knife at his heart to bring him to his swift end. With a shocked expression, you watched the stones lean down closer to your husband as he was battling your last enemy before you ran towards him without warning. You didn't know what you were going to do, but you threw a second knife at the Templar as he charged Malik before you collided with your husband. Shoving him to the ground, the man tumbled like a log down a hill as you looked up with a gasp before the scattered pieces of the pillar collapsed on top of you before you gave a sharp yell as your abdomen was crushed underneath the high pressure and weight. You may have kept Malik from any harm due to a surprise attack, but at the cost of being crushed under several thousands of pounds of ancient rock.

After recovering from the shove you gave him, Malik turned to you with a shocked expression as he saw you being crushed under the weight of the rocks. At once, you rolled over the best you could while incapacitated to smirk at him before he sprinted to you, quickly dropping to his knees while he lifted the rocks of the pillar over his head. Normally, Malik was not a brawns over brains type of guy, but it seemed as though some miracle was being worked in real time as he managed to get the pillar off of you without delay. He knew that the more he waited, the closer you would be to death from the pressure against your internal organs and bones. After getting the pillar off of you and getting you out from the wreckage, Malik pulled you close to his chest, his accented voice pleading with you to stay with him. He nearly lost his brother and his arm to Templars. He was NOT going to nearly or actually lose you! Swiftly grabbing medical supplies from your satchel, your husband bit the gauze with his bare teeth to tear a large strip of white off for you as he uncapped a vial of medicine and started to undo your robes so he could see the wound better. After rubbing the medicine into your stomach only for you to grunt and scream in pain from the stinging its remedy gave, Malik pressured down on the wound to stop the bleeding before he grabbed the needle and thread from your satchel to stitch up the various small wounds you received from the sharp rocks scratching against your flesh. With a yell and several curses in Arabic, you fought through the pain as Malik closed up the gashes before he finished the medical treatment by tying the gauze around your abdomen. Once he was sure you were not gonna bleed out, he clutched his hand to your cheek as he asked, "Are you okay, habibti?"

"Yes, habibi." You answered with a nod as you clutched his cheek back before Malik asked with pained brown eyes and a cracked voice that nearly brought you to tears, "I nearly lost you today, my beautiful wife. I nearly lost my brother and my arm to Templars! I was afraid I was going to lose you too!"

"I know and I'm sorry I'm a little reckless. I just didn't want to lose you either." You answered back as you and Malik exchanged a tender embrace with each other filled with passionate emotion and a few tears before you and him decided to high-tail it out of Solomon's Temple, find Kadar and other Assassins who would believe you, and help Altaïr in Masayf in any way you could. You both knew more Templars could be en route and you didn't want to stick around to find out. You nearly lost each other in a battle of two against four, so who really wanted to see two against many more? Definitely not you and your husband!

So, mounting the steed you had outside the building, you and Malik rode for Damascus as you wished only the best for Altaïr in Arsuf. You and your husband nearly escaped with your lives. You both just hoped some clarity and peace would come out of this fight. You hoped Al Mualim could be stopped before he could destroy the Brotherhood. You hoped Altaïr would succeed. There were many hopes that you and Malik shared inwardly as you rode on. Maybe, just maybe, your hopes would become realities.


	3. Assassin's Creed Modern! College! AU - Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad & Malik Al Sayf X Fem! Reader

*Maria Thorpe was the first person that caught your eye as a potential roommate. Her choice of an English Major as well as her likes and dislikes were similar to yours, so you clicked right away. You also liked the fact that she was originally from London until she moved to your area when she was eleven to stay as a permanent citizen, which meant that she could cook traditional cuisine.

*Honestly, she could make a mean Shepherd's pie and Earl Grey tea! 

*You and your parents even met her in person in the area near the campus and even invited her back to your house for dinner.

*Over time, she became your best friend in college and you two decided to live in an apartment across the street from the main campus to save money and to have your own place. 

*To pay the rent, you worked part-time as a (job) while Maria worked as a self-defense teaching assistant for all students on campus. 

 

________________________________

Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad:

*He was a theology and history major at your college.

*It was your roommate Maria that encouraged you to go to the gym because she did so and you wanted to be similar to her. So as a New Year's resolution to be more healthy, you accompanied her as a gym partner, where she was like your free personal trainer.

*As luck would have it, you and Altaïr first met when he was teaching a kick-boxing class at the gym as a teaching assistant. You were going with Maria and she noticed how red you became whenever you looked at Altaïr with his shirt off, so she kept asking the young man to help you "learn some things from a master" as she teased you. This only caused you to stick your tongue at her with a death glare before you faced the man.

*By the end of the night, you and Altaïr had exchanged numbers as Maria acted as your wing-woman for the night. You three also offered to hang out together on campus when classes weren't busy.

*After a while of hanging out, you learned that Altaïr was Syrian and he was secretly an artist, evident by the sketches he made. Aside from his studies in theology and history as well as his part-time job as a kick-boxing teaching assistant, he drew pictures in his free-time for fun and for the classes he took for his Fine Arts minor. But one time, a fellow teacher saw Altaïr's artwork when the paper accidentally fell out of his backpack and commented on how good it was. Then, he begged him to draw a storyboard for an idea he had for a possible cartoon to give to a big company like Disney, offering to give the budding artist full credit and pay him a lot of money for his help. Naturally, Altaïr was confident in his skills so he accepted. 

*Complimenting on how good of an artist he was despite his current major, you convinced Altaïr to make a portfolio of his best work for an art show on campus. You even helped him pick out some of the artwork and signed him up for the 'real-time still capture' category since he wasn't very good at drawing abstract or cartoonish art. 

*After hours of nervous tension at the art show, Altaïr won first place in his category and although he acted a little smug to you, he was actually very humbled to win the blue ribbon and the $100 prize. 

*His winning artwork was a sketch of your beautiful face as if the observer was looking at you from first-person point of view, titled "Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder." Just seeing the title and picture was enough to make you blush and almost cry because you didn't know he had done this for his portfolio until now (which he kept as a surprise from you) and it was such a sweet gesture. 

*As you and Altaïr got to know each other better, you two started hanging out more on and off campus in-between classes, homework, and studying. Sometimes, you even helped the man with subjects you were good at even though he didn't ask, but all the same, he accepted your help and even helped you two in history and theology whenever you asked. He even taught you the basics of drawing. 

*One day, you saw Maria and Altaïr from your window as you were typing a paper for a class. They were both outside by the man's black car as it seemed like Maria was agreeing with what Altaïr said before the two hugged and the man left in his vehicle. You asked Maria about it but she didn't say much, so you kind of figured that maybe Altaïr liked her and not you, even though you had feelings for the young man. 

*Turns out, the next day, Altaïr did something nice for you at the famous coffee shop. Bringing you a bouquet of your favorite flowers, (favorite flowers), Altaïr asked you to be his girlfriend. You were stunned and claimed you thought he liked Maria, but he said he was just asking your friend for information about your favorite flowers. Of course, you said yes because you had feelings for him too.

*Even though Altaïr is a no-nonsense, objective person who doesn't show PDA to you at all in public and seems cold at first, don't let that tough guy act fool you. He may try to act like the manliest man in the world with his chest puffed out and his shoulders back, hips swaying back and forth to seduce all women who enter his presence, but he really does have a heart of gold. 

*He will show PDA to you in private as an alternative to make up for not doing so in public. You're totally fine with that because you love how his golden-brown eyes always look so warm and gentle whenever he gives you his best kisses in private. The shirtless fan service he gives you as well whenever he cuddles or hugs you is an added bonus. But he can also be passionate at times. Let's just say you're an expert at covering up love bites and hickies with makeup and clothes after a month of dating him.

*Altaïr has a short fuse on his temper and it has gotten out of hand sometimes in the scare few arguments you have had, since every couple fights. But Altaïr has NEVER been physical because he'd rather jump in the ocean to drown than ever hurt you. However, if he didn't mean to say something or if it came out the wrong way, he'll admit that he can't take it back but he'll also apologize for being wrong or he'll explain himself better.

*Altaïr + Possibility of Swimming + Huge Body of Water = Chaos. You know this equation to be true better than anyone. You offer to teach him and he reluctantly accepts after you accuse him of being a big chicken by squawking and moving your arms up and down like wings. Although you tease him relentlessly for it, he does gratefully appreciate your help after he teases you for things you can't do or are afraid to do.

*Let's face it, Altaïr doesn't have the best filter for his mouth because he's straight-forward and brutally honest. He also has no filter for the curse words he says sometimes like a sailor, so you can expect his cursing to rub off on you in the most unlikely places (even if you already curse). Once, you even said Altaïr's name and dropped a really nasty word from your lips when you accidentally stubbed your toe on your drawer. You never heard the end of it from Altaïr, who teased you for your newfound potty mouth. 

*Altaïr is definitely not lazy, so he's pretty clean when it comes to his clothes and his bedroom. In the same breath, though, he can be a little bit of a pack-rat sometimes when he's in a rush to clean. Not that you mind because he never seems to lose things. His main rule is "CY," which is short for cover yourself.

*Expect to borrow his oversized hoodies a lot since they're so warm and soft to cuddle in. Altaïr thinks it's so cute and becomes more affectionate in private when he sees you wearing his clothes, which mainly consist of mainly hoodies, jeans, running shoes, and sweatpants. He even let you keep a hoodie of his that was in your favorite color because his claim was that he always hated that one. But the real reason was that you just looked that adorable in it and you kept stealing it from his closet, thinking he wouldn't notice when he actually did notice every single time. 

*Expect him to be a little overprotective because he loves you so much, but still lets you have your independence.

*Mainly, you cook when you two are together because Altaïr can't even make toast, bless his heart. After nearly burning you and Maria's kitchen while cooking eggs, he passed the torch to you since you were definitely better. You have tried to teach him and although he can make simple meals that don't require lots of effort, don't expect him to cook you a whole multi-course meal.

*Expect Kadar, Malik, and Rauf to latch onto you as if you were their baby sister. But don't let that free protection from your boyfriend's best friends and roommates fool you. They often tease you and Altaïr while you two are dating, which only results in snide comments to them from your man and a motherly scolding from you. 

*You can also expect Altaïr to help you with your exercises at the gym because he accompanies you every morning when the doors open at six in the morning. Sometimes, he uses you as a weight when he does bench presses or makes you sit on his back while he does push-ups so he has some weighted resistance. You get startled every time he picks you up effortfully over his shoulder so he can use you as weighted resistance, but you know he only does it to tease and show off.

*Overall, you and Altaïr get along great and you love each other a lot. You support him and he supports you, so who wouldn't want this relationship? 

____________________________________________________________________

Malik Al-Sayf:

*You were at the coffee shop on campus when it was the most-crowded before noon with students buying sugary pastries, sandwiches, and caffeinated beverages. Students also happened to come from all four corners of the earth to engage in studying, doing homework, or chatting it up with friends.

*You were sipping coffee and eating a sandwich while writing a paper for a class you were currently taking this semester. It was Medieval History and you just took it to add extra credits to your final diploma but also to make sure you had enough classes for the semester. 

*However, you loved the subject anyways and you were so passionate about it because of the history itself but also the instructor loving his work and his students (and even though you wouldn't ever admit it, your natural love of Assassin's Creed). You were one of the top students of the class and confident you would pass with flying colors. 

*In all honesty, you had started the paper early because you loved the class so much and wanted to put all your time and energy into creating a Grade-A essay.

*Due to the amount of focus you gave to the paper, you were startled when you heard a young man with an accent ask you if the seat across from you was taken, to which you shook your head and answered him aloud, causing the man to sit down with his hot herbal tea. 

*You had seen the man around campus, but never really had a chance to talk to him due to not being in any classes or extracurricular clubs with him.

*The Syrian man was very attractive with dark hair and eyes to match tanned skin, but he dressed very nicely even though he was wearing normal clothes. He looked very intelligent and wise beyond his years, so of course, he distracted you from your paper a little.

*The man seemed to notice your gentle eyes on him, so he apologized for taking the seat. He explained that there were no more seats inside the coffee shop and he had to work on a paper for a World Philosophy class. After a while of talking and questioning each other, you two introduced yourselves. But you also realized that you were both very studious and dedicated to learning knowledge, working on your essays months in advance once you learned the topics at the beginning of the semester. 

*Noticing the textbook you had lying near your laptop, Malik learned that you were working on a paper for Medieval History while you learned he was working on a paper for World Philosophy based on the book the man glanced at every few seconds. 

*Malik was a History major, so he offered to help proofread your paper since he was very good at writing and memorizing historical facts. He had also taken Medieval History last semester, so he knew what the professor was looking for in an essay. 

*In turn, you offered to help Malik in Philosophy even though you figured he was smart enough to pass with flying colors. After you two were finished, you and Malik exchanged papers and proofread them both. With compliments on both your parts to each other's academic writings, you and Malik thanked each other for helping with proofreading before you exchanged contact information so you could keep in touch.

*You two even announced to each other your successes when you both received A's on your respective essays. 

*After a while of getting to know each other as friends, you and Malik started to become a dating couple after the man asked you out in a Barnes & Noble while you were finding new reading material to engage in during your free-time away from classes. 

*On top of that, he wanted you to read his favorite childhood book so you could better understand him, so he literally drove to his house and retrieved it so he could give it to you as a gift. You did the same with your own favorite childhood book, but as in true Malik fashion, he had already read it. But he read it for a second time just for you.

*Kadar and Rauf are the two cinnamon rolls who shipped you two from the moment Altaïr found your name flashing up on Malik's phone and teased him for it, parading the device around the dorm like a child with the studious man chasing him close behind, trying to snatch his phone back as Altaïr held it out of reach. 

*Maria also secretly shipped you and Malik as well, although she would never admit to it. You would need a polygraph to make her reveal the truth but even still, she would probably try to outsmart the machine if she could find a way.

*Needless to say, Altaïr really did think you and Malik made a cute couple, despite the fact that he teased you two for being together. You can kind of expect him to hang out with you whenever Malik is not around.

*Oh, the aesthetics that summarize your relationship! Books, tea, coffee, Assassin's Creed, you name it! You two literally are an aesthetic in real-time that someone would use on their social media page. 

*Let's just say you and Malik prefer the company of books to social situations, which is why most times, your friends find you two cuddling together in blankets while sitting on pillows and reading books. I smell a parallel to Belle and Prince Adam/Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Coincidence? I think not! 

*Expect to both argue as a couple against others who prefer the movie over the book. You and Malik will fight to the death for the claim that the book is better than the movie. Don't even get him started on Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings! 

*And when you get him on a good roll, he could talk for hours about Medieval History. Once, he talked for two and a half hours straight (without barely taking breaks to breathe) about the Black Plague and the Crusades and you held onto every word that exited his accented lips, not falling asleep once because he kept your attention by being informative and passionate. 

*Malik is the most clean, organized person you've ever met. Everything has its place and everything is in its place in every place that belongs to Malik from his notebooks, to a kitchen cabinet with his personal stash of food, all the way to his clothing drawers. Most of the time, he scolds his friends and roommates for not picking up after themselves because he is quote-on-quote "not their mother nor their babysitter." Sometimes, even though you're not too messy or disorganized, you've even asked him for advice on how to be more clean around your apartment and better organized because his ease of finding things makes you a little green inside.

*Malik also plays the best unexpected pranks on people because his personality prevents him from being suspected of doing it. Most times, Rauf or Kadar get blamed. The rubber band over the kitchen faucet that sprayed Altaïr in the face one morning? Malik! The dozen water bottles that fell on Kadar when he opened his bedroom door? Malik! The cooking flour that fell on Rauf when he reached for the door on Malik's secret food stash? All Malik! He rarely does pranks on you but when he does, you always suspect him because no one could be that detail-oriented for even a simple prank. Honestly, he just sits back and watches the arguments that ensue from his pranks as he smirks while sipping hot tea, reading a book, and lighting some sweet-sleeping incense.

*Occasionally, Malik will wear glasses around you, which you think makes him look nerdy but cute and sexy all the same. To be fair, you sometimes borrow the glasses and Malik thinks you're super cute with them on.

*You've even cuddled in Malik's favorite black jacket whenever you two are together or not because it was scented with his cologne and he let you do it so many times after he noticed you would always try to take it when his attention was diverted. He even admits that you look so cute in it. 

*Malik won't ever do this around friends, but when you two are alone and cuddling, he has the best singing voice you've ever heard and you've even heard Altaïr sing. Literally, the two best friends are rivals when it comes to that department. His voice is so clear and low that he almost makes it look effortless, but you can only imagine what it was like to have a big brother like Malik singing to his little brother when they were kids. It's nice to hear him sing so you almost beg him to do so whenever you two are together. 

*With reluctant conviction, Malik signed up for a Fine Arts talent showcase at your university as a solo singing act because you and your puppy dog eyes convinced him. Even though he didn't win a gigantic prize, he still had a good time and said he wouldn't mind doing it again, after he thanked you for convincing him to try it.

*Malik gives the best cuddles and kisses in private, but he does make a few exceptions in public when he's sure Altaïr and the others aren't there. However, he is so gentle and sweet to you. Must be why you and Malik grew so attached!

*Malik also lets you exercise with him if you choose, and most times, he does shirtless, one-handed push-ups around you to show off a little. He makes it look so easy that you tried to do it once and fell flat on your face, making him chuckle at you and call you a 'Novice.' He even does push-ups above you while you're on the floor, laying down flat on your back, with your man leaning down to kiss you every time he comes down as you laugh at how ticklish his facial hair is against your face and chuckling when he comes back up because of how cute he thinks you look.

*You and Malik took a while for your relationship to blossom and you took it slow, so the hard work paid off in the end. Everyone you both know support the relationship fully and root for you often.


	4. Kadar Al Sayf X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I just wanted to say that this was an idea that I've had for a while but haven't had the time to write until just recently. I also was disappointed by the lack of Kadar Al-Sayf fanfictions out there so I decided to write my own one-shot, which takes place before Solomon's Temple. Hopefully, all the fans of my writing and of Assassin's Creed will enjoy.
> 
> By the way, the reader in this oneshot is the same one mentioned in the Altaïr oneshot.

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD OF ASSASSINS (One-Shot Series) 

________________________________

You were a young Jewish female living in Jerusalem but you lived in constant fear of the guards. You had seen others being harassed for their religion enough to be called an "infidel" or for "accusations" of theft that would "cost a person their life for stealing in the guard's presence." And one day, you knew very much what it felt like to be a victim just like other innocent citizens who were suddenly harassed for no apparent reason.

You were just walking through the marketplace, glancing at people of all origins and occupations with such kindness, before a stand with a kind Muslim vendor caught your eye. He was selling all kinds of textiles and pottery that were just so beautiful, you couldn't help but look. They were unlike anything you had ever seen in your culture and you even commented the merchant on his handiwork, to which he commented on your beauty. However, all of a sudden, one of the guards "caught" you as you were walking away calmly when he started yelling, "Dirty thief! I'll have your hand for that!"

"You dare steal in my presence?! That will cost you your life!" Another guard shouted as the two men started pushing you around before you shouted back in defiance and a hint of fear, despite not showing these men that you were afraid, "I didn't steal anything! I was just looking at what the man had to offer!"

"Oh, a defiant women! You'll get beaten for that!" A third guard joined in as he joined in the yelling and pushing around of you while you were just an unwilling victim of harassment. You didn't ask for this; no one ever did. But the guards were armed and whatever they said went in the town they "protected" unless you had a defiant attitude, sharp tongue, and a weapon yourself.

Just when you thought it was all over for you and that you would never see your parents again, fearing that the guards would do something terrible to you as they made off with you, you heard a man's voice from afar. His accent indicated he was Muslim, but he seemed angry as he shouted to you in English, "My wife, what are you doing out here alone without my or my brother's supervision? You need to get on home to our sons immediately!"

You were confused because you were still a virgin with no husband, let alone your first child. However, you decided to play along as you acted scared of the man because you didn't want to be around the malevolent guards, so you replied as an obedient wife would, "I'm sorry, my husband. I'll get home immediately." Immediately, the stranger went in-between you and the guards to act as a buffer as he apologized, "I'm terribly sorry, my fellow protectors; this will not happen again. I know how much of a handful this women can be. Believe me, our parents had to arrange the marriage and hers had to beg to keep her in line because she was such a disobedient child."

"Of course. You hurry on home and teach that women a lesson." The lead guard replied as he nodded to the stranger before your "husband" grabbed your hand and led you away from the marketplace. The guards smirked to themselves as they walked away because they knew they could only go so far with their city punishments. But a woman belonged to her father, then her husband in this culture. Therefore, a woman's family had more precedence over her punishment than even a city guard. However, you weren't smirking but were instead frightened. You were being dragged to God knows where by a Muslim stranger that you didn't know by name or origin. You didn't know whether to be grateful that he saved you from the guards or scared of what he would do to you once you were out of earshot of the citizens of Jerusalem.

Eventually, once you were out of earshot of the citizens and guards, the man led you to a tall building as he told you to climb a ladder, which you did as he followed behind, making sure you didn't fall. Instead of sounding angry, the man sounded kind and gentle, which put you a little more at ease than before. After climbing the ladder, the man led you to a rooftop garden that had orange curtains before he held the curtain open with his arm, asking you nicely to get inside. You were scared a little once more because you didn't know what would happen once inside the concealed spot while you were with this man. However, the man extended his callused hand to you as he smiled and gently orated, "It's okay, you're safe with me. I will do nothing to you that you don't want me to...I just want to explain myself...Please, have a leap of faith."

Seeing that this man had done nothing to harm you before besides yelling at you in front of the guards to get you away from them, you decided to trust his words and believe that he was being honest by giving him the benefit of the doubt. So, taking his hand, you entered the rooftop garden as the strange man did the same while he closed the curtain. As you two sat down together inside the curtained area of concealment, the stranger took off his gray hood and readjusted both of his leather arm gauntlets and many belts of weapons. In this moment, you decided to get a good look at him as you took in all of his features meticulously.

To you, this Muslim man was kind and young, the most handsome you had ever seen. Skin perfectly tanned like bronze and short hair as black as ebony silk to match the hints of dark stubble upon his face. But you were more entranced by his eyes since they were atypical for someone of his background. Eyes as blue as the sky God created during his first seven days stared back at you occasionally as you nearly blushed red from his beautiful orbs, let alone his mere gaze. He wore a white tunic with a gray hood and gray sleeves, a red sash tied around his waist with a leather belt across his abdomen that contained several throwing knives. On his person, he carried a sword until you noticed his leather arm gauntlets. One of the two pieces of "armor" seemed normal enough, but when you saw the man flick his pinky finger towards his wrist, a small blade of thin silver protruded out from his gauntlet as you gasped before he took note of your reaction and flicked his finger out to take the blade back inside the gauntlet.

At once, you figured out what he was as you replied softly in a whisper, "You...You're an assassin..." With a small nod, the man looked at you with a soft smile before you reflected on the stranger's reaction. Then, you turned around to gaze at the man again with your (eye color) orbs staring into his baby blues as you smiled back to insinuate your awe and gratitude, "I admire the bravery of the Assassins and appreciate all they do for us. Must be why my father is a vigilante in this city whenever you guys save some citizens from being harassed by guards."

"Then I respect your father as an ally..." The stranger smiled back before he went silent. Gathering his words while looking down, the man eventually gazed back up at you before he started to articulate what he desired you to know, "But I respect you even more for showing me such kindness, even though you don't know me and were probably afraid. I am a mere stranger and yet you acted as though we were married with children to escape the guards who were harassing you."

"And I thank you so much for your help." You replied with a kind smile before the man nodded, "No, the thanks goes to you. You trusted me even when you could've fought and run away, so I have to thank you for that."

"I'm sorry you had to go to so much trouble because you're probably so busy." You apologized sheepishly as you started to gaze down before the man shook his head and grasped both of your palms in his larger hands while he admitted shyly, "N-No, it was my pleasure to help; I just hate seeing the guards harassing citizens for no reason. It's an injustice that must be punished."

"Well, I really do appreciate it." You replied with a kind tone as you brushed a stray strand of hair behind your ear before you held out a hand for the stranger to shake, "By the way, I never told you my name. It's (name)."

"Kadar Al-Sayf. Very nice to meet you." The handsome young man replied as he shook your hand with such kindness and strength worthy of a gesture between good friends before you two released your hands. Sitting in the rooftop garden together, you two looked out over the city to see its wonders as the Sun cast a beautiful gleam upon it before it seemed as though a considerable length of time had passed. At once, you looked to Kadar as you sheepishly admitted, "Kadar, I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I should be heading home. My parents will be worried about me because I've been gone too long."

"I understand. My older brother will probably be wondering where I am too. I'll take you home myself and be your personal escort. Where do you live?" Kadar asked as he took your hand while you grabbed his hand again and gave an answer to his question, "In the Rich District close to the marketplace and the border between the Muslim and Jewish districts."

"Then I guess that'll be our destination." Kadar replied as he led you out of the rooftop garden before he noticed that you were clutching something around your neck that rested underneath your dress and head coverings. At once, he saw the image of a Jewish Star of David as a necklace on your person out of the corner of his eye, which made you want to hide it more since you didn't need another bout of harassment from the guards. However, Kadar held your hand once more as he asked, "So, you're Jewish?" With a sheepish nod and hint of fear, you found it hard to stare straight into Kadar's eyes until he lifted your chin softly with his left index finger and brushed a strand of dark, curly hair behind your ear and head covering while he whispered, "I tell you what; you keep my secret and I'll keep yours. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, of course." You nodded with a small smile to match the man's own gentle smile before he led you back down the ladder to get you back onto the ground. With his hands directing his hood back onto his head to conceal his identity, Kadar waited a few moments before wrapping an arm around your shoulders as he escorted you back home to the Jewish District of Jerusalem's Rich District. Making sure the guards who bullied you before were not around, Kadar led you through back alleys and shortcuts to avoid conflict until you finally announced to him where your home was in the district. Once at your front door, you insisted that Kadar at least be thanked by your parents even though he was willing to return to the Levantine Brotherhood without taking credit for your rescue on this day.

However, the young man just couldn't resist saying no to you as you smiled and knocked on your front door before your mother came out to greet you, worried but thankful that you were still alive, as she embraced you with tears of joy in her eyes. Then, from the back of the house, your father made his way to you and your mother as he embraced you too and thanked Kadar for his help after hearing you tell the story of his benevolent guardianship, offering his assistance to the young Assassin should he or any of his fellow brethren ever need it in the field. Kadar then thanked your father for his help too as your mother gave the young Assassin some food and money in gratitude for saving you. Kadar wanted to refuse since everyone in this city barely had enough to eat or buy due to the war of the Crusades, but you and your parents were so insistent that the young man couldn't say no. He had done so much, even while just visiting the city for a little while, so it was the least you and your family could do to thank him for all his time and effort.

Once your parents were back inside, you escorted Kadar outside as you closed your front door before you shrugged, "So, I guess this is goodbye." With a confused look, Kadar found himself chuckling softly as he grinned, "Not for too long, I hope...I'm sure we'll cross paths again soon. My fellow brethren and I will eventually have to visit Jerusalem again."

"But hopefully not in the same circumstances as today." You chuckled too as Kadar nodded with a small laugh, "Hopefully...Until we meet again, (name), farewell. Safety and peace." As suddenly as your heart started to beat against your chest like a drum, you made a rash decision that was guided by your heart instead of your brain as you embraced Kadar tightly with your arms around his neck while you whispered, "Farewell, Kadar. Safety and peace to you as well." You don't know why you hugged him after only a few hours of knowing him. Maybe it was gratitude. Maybe it was because you saw him as an ally and friend. Or maybe you just didn't want to lose him or let him go. Whatever the case was, you couldn't un-ring the bell as you continued to hug Kadar before he reciprocated the embrace. With his arms around your shoulders, Kadar stroked his callused hands through your dark curls from under your head covering as he buried his nose into your neck to remember the scent of your skin and hair while you threaded your fingers through his short, ebony locks from under his hood, waiting only a beat to administer a kiss to his cheek as you whispered another "thank you" to him.

Then, with a final farewell, you watched from your door as you saw Kadar run off to climb a distant building with such ease like an acrobatic feline before you witnessed him doing a Leap of Faith off a ledge into a pile of hay. Smiling with your hand clutching your necklace, you went inside your house and closed your door to recall the events of the day. Sure, you were harassed by guards. Sure, you could be discovered as Jewish and harassed for that too. Sure, you lived in a time where war, sickness, tension, and poverty were common entities that went hand-in-hand. But you now had a new friend and ally in the form of a Levantine Assassin named Kadar Al-Sayf. You had faith that you two would meet again and you kinda hoped that you would. You didn't know it yet, but you were starting to have feelings for Kadar. Sure, it was just a relationship of friendship among you and him, but don't most permanent relationships of dating and marriage start out as friendships? It wasn't common in the present culture, but it was still possible, as rare of an occurrence as it was. And maybe, just maybe, it could be possible for you two.


	5. Rauf X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was another idea that I had and didn't write until now in response to the lack of Rauf fanfictions out there for Assassin's Creed (and because the sword instructor is such a cinnamon roll in the first game). I also couldn't kill off Kadar or have Malik with an amputated arm. I couldn't hurt them in this fanfiction. Hopefully, this fanfiction will be good for all those who read it and I hope everyone who reads it enjoys. Fans of the Creed, this is for you.
> 
> The reader in this oneshot is also the same one mentioned in the Altaïr oneshot.

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD OF ASSASSINS (One-Shot Series) 

________________________________

You had been a citizen of Masayf for as long as you could remember, living with your family happily in safety and peace. Occasionally, you would watch the Assassins training with sword and hidden blade in their practice arena at the top of the mountain in your free time when you weren't helping your mother with chores. Sure, it seemed like a waste of time to some, but to you, every minute of watching the men train themselves to pure exhaustion and intense perspiration was worth it.

One such man you enjoyed to see in training the most (and the main reason you even bothered to walk on foot to the mountain) was a handsome Muslim man named Rauf. He was always so compassionate and kind, with soft black hair and small brown eyes that held a warmth to them that seemed to always make you want to be around him more. He also offered to train you in the art of basic sword fighting outside of his normal schedule of teaching new recruits so he was secure in the knowledge that you could defend yourself, despite being a lucky girl that was fortunately taught by your father. Whenever Rauf was free from his busy schedule, you and him would spend time together in Masayf, just speaking about any topic that came to mind as you laid beside each other while holding hands and gazing at the constellations above.

One night, Rauf asked you to come with him to the secluded hideout that you two used to gaze the stars as he took your hand and laid down on the ground beside you. Holding him in your arms, Rauf expressed his concerns over the present state of affairs as he explained, "A few of our men are at Solomon's Temple recovering a treasure for our master Al Mualim...They won't be back for another few days."

"And you believe they'll fail or never return?" You asked, confused by what Rauf meant by his words, as he further orated his true thoughts and feelings, "No, I have high hopes that the mission will be a success. They have Altaïr with them, and he is the youngest Master Assassin we've ever had. I am sure they will recover the treasure before the Templars do."

"I'll keep your brethren in my thoughts and prayers and hope for their safe return." You offered as Rauf nodded lightly before he grinned, "Thank you so much, (name). You always know how to put my mind at ease."

"It's the least I could do for all you've done for me. But I'm sure they'll be fine, Rauf. I have faith they'll be alright." You reassured the man as you felt the Assassin nod against your chest before he combed his fingers through your soft (texture, color) locks and pressed the gentlest kiss to your lips, which you reciprocated timidly even though this was the first time you had ever kissed a man before this intimately and you had only known Rauf for a couple of months. After a few seconds, Rauf pulled away as he sheepishly shrugged, "Sorry...I shouldn't have done that too soon."

"Well, I mean, I didn't mind...Unless you mind-" You nervously stuttered as Rauf stuttered back, "No, I don't mind...In fact, I've wanted to do that for awhile because I...Well, I have had feelings for you since we first started being friendly with each other, but I didn't know what you would think..." Honestly, all you could do was blink with nothing to say because you were totally at a loss for words at hearing a confession like that leave the lips of a sword instructor for the Levantine Assassins. However, you had feelings for Rauf too, so the only thing you had to say was the following: "Well, I think your feelings are true because I feel the same for you too." With that, you and Rauf consummated the relationship you two had developed together with many kisses and embraces as you two laid in the grass under the stars. Nothing about this current dating relationship felt wrong or untrue. It all felt right and permitted by an entity above such as God, Fate, Destiny, or something else. You loved Rauf and he loved you, so the answer to if you should be lovers or not was simple. You were already such good friends, so what would make a friendship any different from a courting relationship besides more intimate secrets, gifts on special occasions whenever there was money around, kissing, hand-holding, and hugs? According to you two, you both determined that your relationship wasn't changing at all. So, after walking you home and giving you a final kiss goodnight, Rauf agreed to meet you tomorrow night after training his many students since it would be awhile before Altaïr, Malik, and Kadar returned.

However, you and Rauf's plans later the next night were cut short and would have to wait due to the fact that the Templars decided to invade Masayf. It was still daylight and you were just helping your mother finish mending torn clothes when you both heard a scream from outside the gates of the village. Rising from your chairs inside, you two joined your father and the rest of your family outside the house as you watched several people run away in fear as they screamed at the top of their lungs. Brave men in the village were taking up both sword and bow to take down the devilish invaders, but they were quickly cut down like woodland trees against a mighty axe. At once, your father looked to you and your mother as he handed you one of his swords before he commanded, "Get to the Assassins fortress on the mountain, and protect the family."

"Yes, father." You nodded as your father took his sword out of his scabbard and began to sprint out of the house to fight back against the Templars. At once, you unsheathed the weapon and started rounding up your family members, shouting at the top of your lungs, "Everyone, move! Move! Get to the mountain! Run!" As scared as they were, your family knew they were perfectly safe with you as you guarded against the enemy should they attempt to get past you to get to your family. Once you and your family were safely inside the fortress, you watched as your father was fighting against Templars from a hill before you watched several enemies surround your father. Fearing for his life, you decided to run back down into the village to help aid the male villagers and Levantine Assassins who were defending the women, children, and elderly so they could get inside the fortress.

Sprinting down the mountain, your lungs started to burn like fire was inside them, eating away at every crevice to deprive you of oxygen, while sweat poured down your brow. Eventually, you made it to your father's side as you rolled forward in a ball across the ground to avoid the swing of a Templar's sword above your head before you deflected a blow aimed at your father from behind. Your metal blade clashed with another as your stronger opponent tried to subdue you by pushing back, making you have to kneel down to keep your balance. However, you quickly slid your blade away from the Templar's as you spun around and sliced his legs, knocking him onto his back before you delivered a killing stab to his abdomen. Standing back to back with your father, your head covering fell off and wrapped around your neck as you spun in circles while swinging your sword to push back the enemy. However, just like cockroaches, more Templars started to pour into the village as you and your father were both surrounded.

Just when all hope seemed lost, a male Assassin came to your rescue as he single-handily used sword and hidden blade to defend you and your father from nine Templars. After you three were sure that the danger was behind you, you and your father thanked the Assassin before you replied, "Before I forget, I have to ask who our rescuer is."

"It's Altaïr." The man replied before you suddenly recalled the name from memory. Rauf had mentioned that three of his comrades went to Solomon's Temple to retrieve a treasure for the Assassins, and Altaïr was one of the names mentioned. Therefore, you showed much gratitude to the man as you grinned, "Well, thank you again, Altaïr. I owe you one. Rauf was right about you."

"I'm sure he is, just as he's right about you, (name)...But you can show me your gratitude later. Right now, I have to help distract the enemy so Rauf and the others can get the villagers into the fortress safely. You two should get inside. I can handle this alone." Altaïr suggested as he unsheathed his sword as more Templars came barreling through the gates before you looked to your father, then back to the Assassin as you shook your head with a defiant remark, "With all due respect, Altaïr, you're gonna need all the help you can get. My father and I can help you fight."

With a small look towards your father, who only gave a small shrug and nod, Altaïr huffed through his nose before he solemnly stated, "Alright, but stay close and keep your head about you." And with a small salute, you nodded to the Master Assassin as you replied, "Yes, sir."

Sprinting further down into the village, you, your father, and Altaïr cut down Templars left and right as you aided the villagers in their escape to the fortress. Covering the ones who were running towards the mountains, the three of you created a blockade with your bodies as you proved that no one was getting past you three and your blades. But it seemed like for every Templar you took out, it seemed like twelve more started to pour into the village to target you three and take the fallen one's place. Now you were really in trouble. You three were becoming surrounded with no where to run except up to the mountains or forward towards the Templars. Either way meant death. There were no other options. Instead of running away and risk being attacked from behind, you three chose to stand your ground and fight as you swung your swords frantically. As weary and exhausted as you were, it was a miracle you were down for the count right now. However, adrenaline pushed you through the pain of battle nicks and salty sweat entering your eyes as you helped the men push back against the enemy.

But just as it seemed like there was still hope for you, you felt a searing, throbbing pain enter your skull as you were bashed across the back of the head with the hilt of a sword before you fell face-first into a boulder and some debris from a burning house nearby. Your hands were just enough to catch your fall as you leaned against the gargantuan rock for support as if it were a wall. Blood trickled down your temple down to your neck and collarbone as you felt the sensation of fire from the debris burning the skin of your hands and cheek. Seeing the male enemy approach closer, you wearily tried to defend against the sword blows with your own weapon before you felt your arm being grabbed and twisted. With a blood-curdling scream, you dropped your sword as you were grabbed by the hair and thrown into the dirt face-first. Hearing the jingle of armor getting closer and closer to you, you could only watch helplessly on the ground as you saw armored feet near your face, tears filling your (eye color) orbs as you weakly rasped out "R...R...Rauf...Help..." before you felt a sword being plunged into your abdomen only to be yanked right back out within a matter of seconds.

Turning around to see you gasping and coughing, your father screamed your name as you lay crumpled on the ground in a bloody heap surrounded by ash and fire before you heard a slice and saw your attacker fall to his death. You honestly didn't know who had killed your attacker, but you knew it was an Assassin from the looks of the uniform you could make out, as weak as you were. Within a matter of minutes, you started to feel light-headed and weak as you lost more blood through your mouth and abdomen before you closed your eyes and felt someone scoop you into their arms. You didn't know who did it and at this point, you really didn't care. You just wanted Rauf. You just wanted him to hold you in his arms right now just like he would when you two star-gazed in your free time.

Immediately after being stabbed, you could hear multiple voices shouting as you wearily heard a familiar sound calling your name, the voice almost sounding broken from raw emotion which almost brought you to tears. You thought it sounded just like Rauf, but from the amount of blood loss you suffered, you weren't sure who was speaking or who was holding your almost lifeless body against their chest while cupping your singed, scarred cheeks in their callused hands, pleading for you to live and open your eyes. In all honesty, you weren't even sure if you were still clinging to life or close to death. You kept lapsing in and out between the two different states of perception, sensation, and consciousness. At the foot of the mountain, Altaïr and Rauf covered you and your father as they helped you two get into the fortress before the two Assassins cleared a path from the large crowd of villagers behind the gates so Rauf could pass you off to your father in order to get you inside to see the healers. And all the while, you kept whispering Rauf's name as if pleading for your lover while your father kept soothing you, while trying to prevent himself from crying, "Don't you worry, my precious warrior. You fought well...Now, let the nurses do their job and save you. I promise you that Rauf will see you again soon." After getting to a bed and being laid down, you felt nurses prodding and poking at you as you felt your eyes start to close. All you remembered before going out like a light was your mother's crying and the nurses telling you to stay awake and not go into the light.

But eventually, the only light you saw was a candle burning by your bedside as you started to blink your (eye color) eyes open. Like a curtain to a rooftop garden, your eyes fluttered to reveal the room as you saw no one else inside except yourself. Leaning up on your elbows, you tried to sit up until you winced with a grunt, grabbing your sore abdomen harshly as you felt the bandages tighten with every tug you exerted when you tried to get out of the bed. At once, you felt two callused hands gently lay you back down on the bed as they chastised, "You're still injured, so you shouldn't even be up. Please lay back down and get some rest."

Obeying the command, you got back down under the covers with your head against the pillows as you laid on your back before you noticed a familiar face to match the familiar voice. With a small smile, you reached your hand out to him as he took your hand eagerly before you rasped, "R...Rauf..."

Placing your outstretched hand against his cheek while using his free hand to hold your other hand, Rauf nuzzled his cheek against your hand before he grinned back, "(name), my beloved...I'm so happy to see that fortune favors you...The nurses were afraid you wouldn't make it..."

"Well, you know that you can't get rid of me that easily..." You chuckled as Rauf chuckled back and kissed the hand you had against his cheek before he leaned down to kiss your lips. Trying his best not to press against your bandaged waist, Rauf managed to give you several kisses as he cupped your cheeks in his hands while you combed your fingers through his hair. After a few kisses, you two pulled away to catch your breath before you asked, "Just curious, but how long was I out? And where is my family?"

"A couple days...And your family is safe and in the fortress. They'll wait until you're fully recovered before you head back home to the village." Rauf answered your question as you felt his lips press against yours again with every pause in the sentences before you answered in-between kisses, "That's good...I should be better in a few days...How did the mission go with Altaïr and the others go?"

"We got the treasure...But Malik nearly lose his arm and Kadar was nearly killed. Altaïr was also demoted by Al Mualim after we saved Masayf for breaking the tenets of the Creed." Rauf explained solemnly as you nodded sadly, "I'm sorry to hear that...I do hope Altaïr gets his rank back. He sounds like a good man, and he was a great help to us on the day the Templars invaded Masayf."

"I hope so too." Rauf responded before he started to get up from the bed while he replied, "I guess I'll let you sleep now while I go train new recruits."

"But you'll come back, right?" You asked prettily as your beloved answered with a grin, "As soon as I'm done with their training, I'll come back during the night. I'll wake you to let you know I'm here, I promise." Then, with a pinky promise exchanged between you two, Rauf left the room to go train the new recruits while you inched the covers over you further to draw slumber upon you.

Hours had passed since you saw Rauf again. One, two, maybe more hours had passed. You really didn't know. You were just hoping that Rauf would return like he promised. You had woken up at some point in the night in the hopes that Rauf would be there when you awakened. However, Rauf still had not arrived and the moon was high in the sky. You waited a few minutes before you decided that your beloved had a long day of training to make up for the Levantine Assassins that were lost in the invasion of Masayf. But as you were about to return back to sleep to help your healing along, there was Rauf, closing the door behind him and announcing his arrival to you just as he promised. And with a smile, you beckoned him to your bed with a wave of your hands as he laid down beside you, his arms around your waist as he pressed kisses to your cheeks, forehead, and lips. Doing his best to not hurt you or make your injuries worse, you reciprocated each embrace and kiss as best you could until you both felt yourselves falling asleep. And just like the candle on the nightstand, the eyes you two had staring at each other flickered shut to rest until the next morning in Masayf. You two were warm and safe, in each other's arms and very much in love. You were still alive even though you were injured, and Rauf and his comrades were safe with the treasure recovered for the Assassins before the Templars could possess it. What more could you two ask for?


	6. Assassin's Creed Modern! College! AU - Kadar Al Sayf & Rauf X Fem! Reader

Kadar Al-Sayf:

*Kadar is a pure, Syrian cinnamon roll! Plain and simple!

*He's too pure and innocent for this world that it's not even funny. He is mature enough to be taken seriously by other adults in college, but you can tell he's a child at heart.

*Literally, he couldn't even speak three words to you when he first met you. You were his social support as he was going to competition with the on-campus dance team, and you loved to watch Kadar dance because he could move his body and feet to any style of music and make it look like he was gliding on the thinnest of air (unlike his older brother who could barely manage to slow dance in place despite being graceful in every other life aspect).

*Kadar immediately fell in love with how much you loved his choice of extracurricular activities and how beautiful you looked while around him during night practice, cheering him on while trying to dance to music in the distance.

*Being a history major that chose his own path out of a love for the field even while following in the footsteps of his older brother, Kadar had absolutely no communication skills with girls he liked more than a friend even though he was attractive enough to seduce many a college female.

*In all honesty, even when you said something as simple as "Hi" to the man from afar with a wave, Kadar became a stuttering mess with a red face and his mouth unable to form a "Hi" back.

*You wouldn't believe how many times he's tripped over bike racks and benches whenever he's flustered nervously by your very presence. You've lost count after the first ten times of patching up his knee or his cheek from the skin scratching against the concrete sidewalk.

*He tried to get dating advice from Malik and Altaïr, but they told him to just be straight up with you after relentlessly teasing the younger man for having an old-fashioned crush on a girl.

*After many attempts to ask you out only to chicken out at the last second, Kadar finally admitted his feelings to you by getting help from the other dance team members when you two went to his practice. They were all wearing plain white T-shirts with letters printed on them to reveal once they finished their routine and zipped down their hoodies as they stood in a certain order, with the message "Will you be my girlfriend, (Name)?" being spelled out.

*Despite crying a little from how adorable and sweet the gesture was, you did manage to say yes as they all cheered and you exchanged a kiss with your new boyfriend.

*When you two started dating, Kadar even shyly admitted as to why he was so nervous to approach you a while ago to even ask you to date him, let alone hang out as friends.

*His accented stuttering was just so adorable that you only wanted to pinch his cheeks like a grandma to her grandchildren and call him cute.

* "Y-Yo-You were just so beautiful and k-kind that I-I-I...I didn't know how to even say th-thr-three words to you...B-B-But I knew that I-I-I loved you since I first brought you t-t-to my dance p-pr-practices."

*Let's just say you silenced him with a kiss to his stubbled cheek and told him how cute he was, nearly making him pass out cold as his little face went red like a tomato.

*Five words, eight syllables: Kadar is a cuddle buddy! You can't go two nano-seconds in his presence when you two are alone together watching movies, playing video games, or studying without him beckoning for your presence in his arms, his hands flexing in and out while he begs "Come here" like a baby reaching for a toy.

*But you don't really mind. You actually like it because he always gives the best hugs, which make you laugh because his stubble seems to always tickle you. But unlike his best friend Altaïr and older brother Malik, he will literally hug you anywhere and everywhere in public.

*Let's not mention the time he told you to take your textbook off your lap so he could cover you with his entire body on top of you like a blanket. He took a running leap before doing so, therefore, it knocked the wind out of you as you tried to laugh it off while you cuddled him back. Besides, anyone who just came inside the room at the wrong time would think you two were attempting to do the do on campus in public.

*All Altaïr could do was chuckle and tease you both to get a room.

*Malik inwardly thinks it's cute when you two act like this, but he often teases for Kadar to stop acting like a needy child who always needs PDA. This just makes Kadar death-glare his brother and stick his tongue out at him and Altaïr before he gives you a kiss to the forehead, his eye contact never leaving his sarcastic tormentors.

*But don't get me wrong! Kadar will let you rest your head on his shoulder or in his lap because he knows you like his fingers stroking through your scalp. It's so relaxing to you that it's like he was secretly a personal massage artist.

*And if you ever need to go clothes shopping for ANY reason, take Kadar with you. Trust me on this, TAKE KADAR! He will literally look through racks of clothing and take into consideration of what you like and what your budget is, throwing several articles of clothing to you and asking you nicely to go try them on in the nearest dressing room. Who knew this cinnamon roll of a man had a good sense of fashion?

*He claims he doesn't know why he is good at that, but you think that "Project Runway" is his secret guilty pleasure that he will never admit to.

*Every single time, you always walk out with one or two outfits that you deem the best out of all the choices he gave you.

*Kadar is the master of giving piggy-back rides because it makes him feel like a kid again alongside Altaïr, Malik, and Rauf. But he also loves to carry you, whether or not you ask him.

*Kadar is even more of a pack-rat than Altaïr and Rauf, so you don't know how in the world he finds anything in his room. He's not exactly lazy, but he hates getting nagged by Malik to clean. But somehow, he never seems to lose anything in his pile of organized chaos...well, except for ONE pair of socks. But other than that, Kadar hasn't lost anything.

*All in all, you and Kadar are probably the biggest cinnamon rolls and cuddle buddies on campus, but you two are perfect for each other. Many people think your relationship is just that adorable.

______________________________

Rauf:

*Choosing a tough major, Rauf wanted to gain the skills to be a teacher for young children under the age of eighteen. He loved children and he loved to teach even more, so why not?

*Heck, he even worked around about 20 special needs kids as a teaching assistant and they loved him so much. He even had a special handshake and high-five system for each INDIVIDUAL child.

*But he never expected to try to teach himself how to talk to girls, mainly to impress one girl in particular...You.

*You and Rauf were in an ASL club on campus together so you both could learn the skills to communicate with deaf or mute people in the future.

*You wanted to learn the language because you had always been interested but you never really had the time with your studies and job.

*Rauf wanted to learn the language in case he ever needed to communicate with a special needs child in class.

*Naturally, you needed a little help at signing full sentences since you had alphabetical letters and basic words down pat, so also naturally, Rauf helped you.

*You both introduced yourselves each other in sign language before you got to talking aloud again since you were still learning how to sign complete sentences.

*Luckily for you, Rauf knew basic complete sentences and offered to teach you. He was just involved in the extracurricular club to refresh his memory on past-learned skills and to expand further on the skills he already mastered.

*His exotic Syrian accent and beautiful face was enough to draw you in so you could get to know him better.

*After exchanging contact information, you and Rauf started becoming best friends as you hung out together when you weren't in class or working part-time jobs.

*Sometimes, you even went with Rauf to help out with tutoring the special needs kids in basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. After a period of months, the kids learned to love you too and would miss you whenever you weren't there. They were even so bold as to ask Rauf if he liked-liked you, to which the man would blush and nearly choke on his own saliva.

*As much as Rauf tried to deny it to his friends (who teased him for finally finding a girl) and the little kids, he was a cinnamon roll like Kadar (maybe even more so if one could believe that) and he couldn't deny his budding feelings for you because he was honest to a fault.

*After seeing you comfort a crying little girl who tripped on the sidewalk and cut her forehead while at the special needs teaching center, convincing her that you were a magical princess who could heal minor injuries with a simple kiss to the wound, that only further cemented Rauf's loving opinion of you.

*Therefore, you could only imagine your reaction to Rauf asking you out in sign language during ASL club hours. Although you couldn't understand every single solitary word, you could piece together bits little by little until you got the gist of the message. After kissing Rauf right then and there while he sat across from you in his own chair, you signed the words "Yes, I will. Thank you" before you exchanged another cute kiss with the man.

*Just like Kadar, Rauf is a cuddler in private or public, but it depends on the situation and who he's around. Around friends and people he knows very well, he's very affectionate to the point where Altaïr, Maria, and Malik tease him to get a room. But around strangers, Rauf will just hold your hand discretely. It's a simple enough gesture that no one would be able to judge you for and it still satisfies the need for physical contact on both your parts.

*On top of that, he's also the master of the Eskimo kiss and he always greets you with one whenever he sees you, regardless of who is around. You think it's adorable because his stubble always brushes against your neck somehow and it makes you giggle because of how ticklish it is.

*Rauf is kind of in-between Malik and Altaïr as far as keeping things clean and organized goes. On one hand, he can be very organized to a tee when he is very focused to the point where he's almost like Malik to a certain degree. But when he does get exhausted or distracted, he becomes a pack-rat like Altaïr if he's in a big hurry to pick up after himself. But you don't really mind because it's not like he lives in a pig sty.

*He also gives really good hugs, and most times, he lifts you off the ground when he does so because he likes to be similar to the way manly men in cheesy Rom-Coms act.

*You honestly think it's adorable because no man you have ever met has done that for you before. So you just play along as he affectionately refers to you as his princess and himself as your prince.

*The special needs kids that Rauf works with have even called you pretty princess which never fails to make say your hands on cheeks while blush.

*Needless to say, you and Rauf really love each other and no one can convince you two of otherwise. Both the special needs kids and your shared circle of friends would agree to such a conviction.


	7. Darim Ibn La'Ahad X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hello, ladies and gentleman, Sakuraaeris1497 here! I hope everyone is having a good day today. After a while of writing fanfictions for my favorite male characters in the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, I decided to write more stories. I'm also planning more imagine one-shots and Modern College AU headcanons for characters from all the Assassin's games that I've played.
> 
> For this fanfiction, I decided to do Darim Ibn La'Ahad and if he seems very OOC, I humbly apologize since he has little screen time aside from Revelations and the comics and not much is known about him. But I still hope the audience likes the fanfiction anyways.

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD OF ASSASSINS - (One-Shot Series) 

______________________________

Darkness...You didn't remember much, but what you did recall was that you were a traveler who wanted to see the world after you bid farewell to your family in your early twenties. You loved your family and they did the same, but you wanted to see things that were more exciting than the activities of solitary life in your small village. And knowing how you were as carefree and stubborn as an eagle, your family let you go.

But every adventurer needed money for their travels. So you took to a new skill to feed your traveling addiction. Even in the darkness with not a lot of recollection of recent events, you did know that you traveled to many areas to show off your talent of dancing to anyone who would bother to take a second look. Many thought you were very good and often threw coins to you as you spun and jumped around across the ground. After so many years of dancing, many men lined up to be your next suitor because you were beautiful as you were kind, talented, and strong. However, you weren't looking for a man so you pushed suitors away like annoying flies that buzzed past your ears. You were fiercely protective of yourself and would only give yourself fully to the man that YOU chose to love. But you also wanted to travel for the moment until you had seen all you wished to see and decided that YOU wanted to settle down with a man and children. But now, your journeys had ceased to a sudden halt that you did not wish for.

On one of your many ventures, you were traveling on horseback outside the borders of the Kingdom after finishing a gig in your small village near Masayf and encountering a very handsome male Assassin who complimented your performance and paid you handsomely with what meager amount of money he had. You had a feeling that your paths would cross again, so you savored the encounter even though you couldn't quite get a look at the man through his ivory hood aside from small flashes of features such as sharp facial structures, blue-green eyes, and dark hair. So there you were, on the road again, to journey to a new land, an exotic country called China which was under the Southern Song Dynasty. You had heard many things about the large country such as their booming silk trade and their drastically different culture and cuisine, so you desperately wanted to explore every nook and cranny to have some stories for your family and other travelers you would encounter on the way home.

However, as you were crossing into China, you encountered a group of rough-looking men who you recognized as Mongols from the many forewarning stories you heard in your multitude of travels. They tried to take you willingly at sword-point as a concubine for their master, Genghis Khan, but you wouldn't go. In your own words, you "weren't going down without a fight and they weren't taking you alive. You weren't going from where you were to wherever they wanted to take you because then you wouldn't know where you were, so they would just have to kill you where you stood if they still wanted to take you away and if they wouldn't kill you, then you'd do it yourself." You would do WHATEVER it took to not be taken from Point A to Point B as a kidnapping victim and soon-to-be concubine to a brute you barely knew. So, as you pulled a throwing knife from a sack of them that you had in your pouch, you were prepared to stab yourself in the tender arteries of your neck until you felt a blunt instrument strike the back of your skull. After that, everything you heard or saw was a blur.

So now, here you were, chained to the saddle of a horse and heading to God only knows where. To these men, you were a slave who couldn't and shouldn't accept help from ANYONE and you weren't even referred to by your name. Even if you would've given it, which you didn't in the first place because they were harmful strangers, they still wouldn't have used it because it would have denoted you as a person instead of a concubine, a great female conquest for their leader. From what you could recall after being struck in the back of the head, you weren't a native to Mongolia; that was evident by your inability to understand the language of the Mongolian men around you and the confusion that resulted from not comprehending even basic words. This mainly resulted in being shoved around and screamed at in what sounded like anger-driven gibberish to you. But they never hurt you in any intimate way because you were meant for Genghis Khan, not them, so they never did anything to you in that barbaric nature even though they were already being brutes. They had every opportunity to do so as many times as you tried to fight back and even escape your rope bonds. But they didn't and you felt thankful that they didn't take that from you by force since you weren't going to give up something that precious so willingly.

Once, you did manage to sock a single Mongol in the jaw and spit in another's face, even with your hands bound by the thin rope. But this just resulted in a kick to the gut, some kicks to the ribs, and a harsh slap to the face that resulted in a large cut by your right eye before you were shouted at again. From then on, the Mongols put you in bonds of chains instead of bonds of rope as they tied you to the saddle of a horse, also putting a cloth sack over your head so you couldn't see the path ahead. In the same breath, they even withheld water and food from you for several days for that until they finally fed you again so you wouldn't starve and die before you were given to Genghis Khan. Come to think of it, they deprived you of nutrients EVERY time you tried to escape or fight back so it would maybe teach you a lesson to be submissive, but even though you were usually a fast learner, that was one lesson you didn't seem to get through your thick head and your body paid the price for it as it dropped weight and strength little by little. You were stubborn and mouthy in your youth, even though you were normally shy, so you weren't giving up so easily in this moment...NEVER! To you, maybe several days had passed since you were first kidnapped. But you really had no sense of time or direction because you had a sack over your head and you didn't know how long you had been traveling with these men.

However, that all changed when you heard a stampede of horses charge and attack your captors. Honestly, you didn't know if they were your salvation or your new captors, so you just stayed as still as you could on your horse since you were still chained to the saddle with a sack over your head. So, as you felt blood splatter a little on your clothes and heard battle cries, you felt the horse grow scared of the encounter as you tried to pacify him with your smooth voice while he was getting whacked and almost sliced with swords. However, with a loud whinny, the stallion reared back on two legs before he bolted away with you still chained to him. Since you couldn't see your path or steer the reins, you were completely helpless as you screamed and shouted, "Beacon, stop!" You had affectionately named the horse 'Beacon' because he was pure white like a bright light and your only friend in these dark times because he hated the Mongols just as much as you did. You could tell by the way he ONLY trusted you. However, calling his name wouldn't cease his sprinting as you screamed at the top of your lungs for a miracle to save you since you couldn't save yourself in your current predicament, "HELP!!! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!" At once, you heard a single round of galloping beside you as you heard grunts from another horse and shouts of 'Hyahh' and clicks of a human tongue from what sounded like a man coming to your rescue. You were so frightened that you would crash to your death on this horse or be captured again as you started to shake and hang on the best you could for dear life, even while still bound and blind, before you heard a male voice command breathlessly, "Milady, give me your hand!"

You tried to find the courage to answer the man since his voice sounded concerned and kind, but you were still so scared right now. As your horse kept galloping across the ground, the man followed right next to you as he extended his hand to you enough for you to feel his fingers brushing against your arms while he shouted again, "Please don't be scared! Take the sack off your head and give me your hand!"

"I'm chained to the saddle! I can't see, get free, or steer." You answered back in a frightened shout as the man glanced to see you were indeed chained to the saddle as if you were some kind of prisoner, one who was maybe not taken away from your home willingly. Upon instinct, the man jumped from his steed as he landed behind you, nearly letting go of the saddle to fall off onto the ground to his death due to the speed of your steed's panicked galloping. However, once he was steady and on the horse properly, the man pressed his chest against your back as you held back a whimpering gasp before he grabbed the reins and pulled back, making the horse lurch on two legs to rear back with a loud whinny, as you two suddenly stopped.

Once you two were able to catch your breath, the man's own steed galloped to stop beside you both before your rescuer hopped off of Beacon as he pulled the sack over your head while bright light blinded you since you had the contraption on for a while and were used to only darkness. Once you could properly see without your eyes hurting, you heard the man ask if you were okay in what sounded like a small Arabic accent before you gave a shy nod, unsure if you should answer or not out of fear of retaliation for supposed "back-talk." Then, your eyes of (eye color) managed to sneak a glance at the man as you took note of all of his features. His voice said he was Arabic but his physique said otherwise, so you assumed that maybe he was of mixed race since that wasn't too far from the truth even though it was very rare. But then, you wondered why a man of his origin was in Mongolia. Nevertheless, you meticulously gazed at his features as you took it all in, even though there was a lingering thought poking at you in an annoying manner, telling you that somewhere in the back of your mind that you had seen this man before. But where, you did not know.

The man was wearing Mongolian armor but the rest of his clothes were mainly in palettes of red, white, and dark gray and looked like they came from another land. He was also tall and broad, most likely the biggest and strongest man you had ever seen in your life. He had the lightest tan you had ever seen on a man of his suspected origins but his sharp facial features and dark hair would've matched your images of what a man who looked and sounded Arabic would be like. But what drew you to him immediately to this stranger were his eyes. They were the most prominent blue-green hue that you had ever seen in the twenty-something years you had been alive, and you suspected that maybe your eyes were deceiving you from being deprived of proper light. However, you took a second glance and realized your eyes were being honest in what they perceived until your thoughts started to race again. To be quite honest, you whole-heartily had faith that this man was so beautiful and a real help to you in your hour of need that you almost convinced yourself that he was an angel of Heaven or other magical, ethereal being not of the physical, human world.

But your thoughts were paused for a moment as the man stared at your bound hands on the saddle with a focused expression as his bright eyes never broke contact. Within a nano-second, he flicked his pinky forward while a thin silver blade protruded from his leather gauntlet, which frightened you as you visibly trembled and leaned back on the saddle, your eyes almost shutting in fear with racing thoughts that assumed that this man was here to hurt you or capture you for himself. Even though you logically knew in your mind that the weapon was a hidden blade and probably denoted this man as an Assassin of some Brotherhood of the Creed, you had seen enough blades around you in ways that meant you serious threat or harm for God only knows how long that you weren't prepared to see another one again unless it was your choice to have a means to defend yourself.

However, the man took notice of your reaction as he gave a small grin and a gentle pat of your hand with his own callused one, responding in a calm tone to try to pacify you in your terrified state of being and state of mind, "It's okay, milady, I won't hurt you. You're safe with me and my group because we're Assassins and we came here to stop the Mongols. So you have no reason to be afraid." Then, with another pat of your hand, you gazed into the male's baby blues as he gave you the kindest facial expression before he announced, "I'm just going to take these chains off you with my hidden blade since you've been like this long enough...Just be patient and be as still as you can." From what you could make out, this man seemed kind enough just from voice and actions alone. He was never rough with you and he never threw you around as if you were a sack of food or supplies or treated you like a dog. Therefore, you let him pick the lock on your chains with his thin weapon before he was able to hear a click as he smiled while the metal bonds fell from your wrists instantly. With his hand extended to you, the man waited for you to finish rubbing your reddened, sore wrists as you winced with every massage of your fingers before he offered to help you get off the horse. Seeing that this man was a chivalrous gentleman, you hesitantly took his palm with a nod as you jumped off the moving animal while the man put his free arm around your waist to make sure you didn't fall and hurt yourself.

But when he tried to remove his hand from yours, you didn't want to let go as you clutched tighter, surprising the Assassin since he wasn't used to anyone aside from his brother Sef doing the same thing when the younger boy was frightened of anything from storybook monsters to Templars and they were both very little. Right now, your heart and mind were currently at war with each other. Your heart told you to trust the man since he seemed to not be Mongolian and he seemed familiar to you, but your mind told you to run far away and never look back. But you didn't even know where the heck you were, so why would you run and where would you go? Therefore, you weren't sure as to why you even wanted to be near another man, especially a stranger, after what the Mongol men did to you. However, the only logical explanation you could use to justify your actions was that if he was your next captor, he would've just left you chained to the saddle and made off with you. However, this man was your saving grace, the hero you hoped and prayed would deliver you from captivity, because he freed you from your bonds without any other motive except one of concerned generosity. He also wasn't letting go of your hand because you wouldn't let go and he seemed to be doing whatever it took to ease your mind. But you couldn't help but notice the man staring at you as he locked eyes on the red, scarred cut near the corner of your right eye, the tangled mess of matted locks of (hair color) on the top of your head that looked like it hadn't seen a bath in a while, and the sheer layer of clothes you wore on your thinning body, which were nothing more than torn rags that looked like they couldn't even keep out a single drop of water. Gazing upon all of this only created a look of sadness in the man's eyes that were given not in pity but in sympathy for you and your plight, which almost made you want to collapse to your knees and sob from how troubled this man looked and how troubled and sad you were yourself. And although you didn't know what he was thinking, you knew this man was trying to piece together what had happened to you. Nonetheless, figuring you were most likely cold and wondering how in the world you hadn't frozen to death, the young man stroked a hand through his slicked-back tresses as he took off his coat. He was wearing several other warm layers underneath, so he wasn't too cold as he wrapped the coat around you so the cloth lined with fur was cradling your neck with the smell of exotic spices and warmth and so you would still have your dignity as a woman who was modestly concealed from the world after being desecrated against for so long. Immediately, you protested the kind act and tried to shimmy out of the garment, even if you were cold and wanted to snuggle more into it for warmth, as you told the man, "I'm just a slave, so I can't and won't accept your help; you'll freeze to death if you don't take it back." However, as you kept pushing the coat back into the man's muscular arms, he shook his head and tried to put it back onto you as he retorted, "No, you are wearing a thin dress and it seems as though you're not from here and not used to the cold. So I'm still pondering to myself as to how you haven't frozen to death yet in however long you spent out here in the snow."

"Sir, please...Please...I can't take it." You protested once more as your voice faltered in your physical shivering and anxiety-driven panic. At the same time, you stood still with the jacket being fastened back onto you by the man as you stared in his eyes, wondering why in the world he was being so nice to you as that question left your lips in whispers. However, he shook his head again as he gently protested back, "Yes, you can. I have plenty of layers to survive the cold, but you need it more than I do...Besides, I also can't leave a lady who needs help alone because of my personal opinions and upbringing...It would make me happier knowing you were safe and warm...Milady, please just take it." With a hesitant nod and slight acceptance of his proposal, you snuggled into the jacket that hung on you like a knee-length dress as you let the man finish fastening it to you before you stumbled over your words again as you shivered even with a warm jacket over your frame, "H-He-Hey...I...I don't know how to t-th-thank you for y-you-your help but I...I will find some w-wa-way to repay you..."

"No repayment is needed on your part. You called for help and I came to your aid."

"But I properly want to thank you for your help and I want to properly thank my rescuer...However, I wouldn't know how since I...I don't know your name." You admitted shyly before the man squeezed your hand gently in reassurance to calm you as he revealed the truth, "Darim...It's Darim Ibn La'Ahad..."

"Darim..." You repeated aloud like a mantra so you could commit the name to memory and put a name to a face before something clicked in your long-term memory. You didn't know why you felt a lapse of recognition even though you couldn't piece things together, but you felt in your heart that it was right to be by the side of Darim as you admitted brokenly like an amnesia patient in a hospital regaining what they had lost tragically, "Wait...Y-You...I...I think I've seen you before, but I'm still not too sure...It's been a w-wh-while and I could be w-wr-wrong since I was hit in t-th-the back of the head..."

"What do you mean?" Darim asked as he looked at you with a puzzled expression before you answered, "I...I feel as t-th-though we met s-so-somewhere in the Kingdom...You s-se-seem familiar in f-f-face and v-v-voice...But I...I'm not too s-sure...Or m-ma-maybe you're just a male Assassin who resembles someone I...I've met...b-be-before..."

"So you're from the Kingdom? Are you a native to Acre? Damascus? Jerusalem? Masayf?"

"M-Ma-Masayf...My p-pa-parents and I are from a-a-a small village near there, s-so I...I'm very aware of the w-wa-ways of t-th-the Assassins..." You responded as you never broke eye contact with Darim so he wouldn't doubt you before he saw your honesty in your facial expressions and your eyes. Then, he gave a nod sadly with his own eyes closed while he whispered, "I knew it..." You figured that Darim meant that he was right about his internal assumptions of you not being used to the cold weather here and not being a native to Mongolia, but you weren't too sure what he meant since he was very vague.

After a few moments, Darim turned away from you but never let go of your hand, cupping his free hand over his mouth while he called out to his other three companions in Arabic as they came up to him on horses aside from the lone old woman in the trio, whose horse had been shot at during the chaotic commotion. At once, she asked Darim if he was alright in what sounded like a British accent to you, so you assumed she was from Acre or another far-off land. With a hug to the older woman, the young man nodded as he called the old lady with the heavy blue coat lined in fur around the hood and the white pigtails "Mother" and responded that he was fine. After a few beats, an elderly man with a long white beard and a heavy coat lined in fur around the hood referred to the woman as "Maria" and even called her his wife before he asked Darim, his son, if he was alright to which the young man said he was. Then, an older Mongolian man by the referenced name of "Qulan Gal" came up to the family of three as he asked for everyone's physical wellbeing while everyone said they were alright before he took notice of you. You were calmly asked many questions by the Mongolian man, who seemed very kind and gentle but very curious. He asked you what your name was, where you were originally from, and why you were with these other men because these questions were basic and easily answered with one sentence or less; but he was also seeing that you weren't a Templar or spy sent to attack the Assassins, despite being deeply concerned for you because of what appeared to have happened to you.

However, you didn't know if it was safe to answer and you were so used to being beaten for speaking or even making eye contact with anyone unless allowed, so you kept your mouth shut and diverted your gaze out of fear before Darim answered for you after taking note of your present reactions to being bombarded with overwhelming questions and conspiracies. In this moment, he came to your aid again, which you were very grateful for, as he pleaded your case to the group, "I appreciate your concern and discrepancies, but in her defense, I don't think she was a spy sent to murder us and I don't think we should classify her as such...When I came to her aid, I saw that she was chained to a horse's saddle with a cloth sack over her head, so I have reason to believe she was the Mongol's prisoner and I don't think she was taken willingly....She said as much to me when she admitted that she was a slave who couldn't and wouldn't accept help...She also said she was from a small village in Masayf and that she knew of the Assassins because of her close proximity to us. But she did reveal to me that she thought I was familiar to her but she wasn't too sure since she was hit in the head by the Mongols when I assume she was captured...Her words, not mine."

"Seems likely." Darim's father nodded as Maria suggested to her husband, "Altaïr, we should take her back to our camp. Maybe she could be of some help to us and maybe she knows something."

"Perhaps, my love..." Altaïr nodded again as he held his wife's hand before he, Darim, and the Mongolian man hopped on their own horses alone. With feather-light steps, Maria approached you gently as she extended her hand to you while you gasped and lurched back before she apologized for startling you. Then, she waited for you to trust her while she started talking to you in many different languages to see which one you could understand and communicate to her with. She tried French, Hebrew, Arabic, and English, and it seemed as though you didn't understand French due to you shaking your head with a confused look on your face as if she were speaking in tongues. However, you did understood Arabic, a little Hebrew, and English the best just by the way you nodded when she asked the following question in all the languages she attempted: "Can you understand me? Please nod for yes and shake your head for no."

Therefore, she chose to use English since it was easier for her and you seemed to be more fluent with it as she replied, "Please come hither, dear. You are safe now and have nothing to fear. We're friends...But it does seem to me that you are scared of men and you have every reason to be after what those Mongols put you through. I also don't believe you are a Templar because believe me, I would know better than anyone since I used to be one of them until I met my husband." Then, with a small smile, Maria tried to relax you again as she suggested, "So you are welcome to ride with me to our camp until we can come up with a plan to get you back home to Masayf. Is that alright with you?"

Giving a meek "Mmm-hmm" to Maria as you took her hand and nearly brought yourself and her to tears with the look of sadness you gave, you could see that she was just as kind as her husband and son and she wasn't going to hurt you. Therefore, you were willing to follow her wherever she wanted to take you because it seemed like her and her group were genuinely trying to help you, despite the present circumstances. You didn't know why you trusted her or her son so quickly, but somehow you did and it felt right to trust them, so you didn't dare question it once. After a few seconds, she led you to the horse her son Darim was riding as he tried to save you before she helped you onto the large animal. Then, she hopped on the horse behind you as she took the reins and guided the horse to the camp.

Once you arrived at the camp near a small cave on a mountain, you never left Maria's side as you clutched her hand tightly, scared that she would leave you alone around all these men, even if there was only four of them that included her husband and son. Qulan Gal's younger Mongolian comrade thought it was a little odd that you grew so attached and he gave you some weird looks, even after his mentor explained the situation to him. However, one death glare from the Ibn La'Ahad family members made him stop judging you so he could resume his Assassin work in silence. After all you had gone through, you were going to darn well be allowed to be by the side of the only other woman in the camp and Maria would fight tooth and nail to make sure of that. Judging from your first impression of her, you knew she would.

Following Maria as she still held your hand and guided you through the camp, you went inside a tent that looked like it belonged to her and her husband as she pulled out what little she knew that she had from her satchel before handing the folded extra change of garments to you, asking you to go get into something warmer so you wouldn't die of cold. After protesting that you were a slave who couldn't and wouldn't accept help from a superior, Maria told you that you weren't a slave anymore and that it would make her happy if you took what was left of her clothes. Because she had been nothing but nice to you, all you wanted to do was please this second mother figure as you thanked her meekly for the clothes with eyes almost filling with grateful tears. However, Maria told you that you were okay right now and that you didn't need to cry for receiving a kind act from a fellow friend. Although, she did say that she also wouldn't mind if you let all that pent-up frustration, anger, and raw sadness out after being forced to stay silent in word and deed for a long while. However, you decided to bottle up your emotions again to keep your composure since you had learned to do so for so long that it was almost second nature like a feral instinct or daily routine. Regardless of what was going on in your internal consciousness, Maria leaned your head down as she kissed your forehead sweetly before she went to the other side of the tent to give you some privacy and be a lookout at the entrance flap in case one of the men came looking for her.

Once you were sure it was safe, you started peeling off the thin rag you once called a dress as you angrily tossed it away from you, disgusted by what it reminded you of and what it had done to you as if IT was the one who kidnapped you. You honestly didn't want to have anything to do with it after all you had suffered! After catching your breath for a few moments, you started to slip on the trousers and small tunic on until you winced in pain as you bent down, clutching your abdomen and obliques tightly, before Maria turned around sharply with a concerned question, "Is everything alright, dear?"

"I...I'm fine, Miss Maria...I'm so sorry to keep you waiting; you must be busy. I won't stall anymore and I'll get changed immediately." You apologized profusely like a squirrel hyped up on caffeine as you tried not to cry. Immediately, you attempted to slip the tunic over your head only to wince and grunt loudly as you felt like you just wanted to scream and cry at the top of your lungs. A few curses even slipped from your mouth as Maria came closer to you as she placed a warm, callused hand on the small of your naked back, which was showing slight bumps from the bones in your spine that could be seen through the thin layer of (skin tone) skin since you hadn't eaten much while spending time as a Mongol captive. At once, you quickly crossed your hands over your chest to conceal your breasts as you felt so desecrated and ashamed, the stoic composure you developed to stay strong while as a prisoner almost about to break with every bit of kindness given to you after a while of knowing none. Within a few seconds of looking at you, Maria noticed blackish-purple bruising close to your abdomen and the bony ribs she could see from the thin sheet of flesh that was left to conceal your inner organs. In all her years as a Templar and avid fighter, she had never seen wounds this bad off on herself or anyone else she knew and she felt sympathy, not pity, for you as she was compelled to gasp. Seeing such wounds made her realize how strong you really were in fighting for your life as she checked you over before she asked, "My dear, what in God's name did they do to you?"

"I...T-Th-They...Just...Just beatings, Miss Maria, nothing more..." You answered brokenly as you tried to keep it together before she started ripping her tent apart inch by inch to snatch up medical supplies to fix your broken ribs as she got you in a position that would get the blood flowing again to remove the telltale black and blue. Then, ripping the ivory gauze off with her bare teeth with enough force to snap a log in half like a beaver, the older lady wrapped it meticulously around your waist as she looked you over all the way from head to toe while you bit your bottom lip to avoid yelling out in pain before she tried to ask another question but found herself overcome with shock at your bodily state to even get the words out, "And they never...They didn't-"

"Take turns? Take advantage of me? Have their way with me?...No...No, they never did that, even if they wanted to. They had every opportunity, but they never took it." You admitted with a shake of your head matter-of-factly as if you felt like a piece of street garbage already before Maria questioned you once more to make sure you were telling the truth and not trying to hide anything to spare feelings or to protect your captors somehow, "Are you sure? These wounds could tell otherwise if looked at more closely..."

"I swear to you on my honor I wasn't hurt in that way and I'm not protecting my captors in any way if that's what you're thinking...I hope those men are tortured by demons and left to rot in the afterlife for what they've done to me and others because believe me, there were other girls less fortunate than I...The beatings and starving were just punishments for me after trying to fight back or escape several times...These wounds you see now are just the most recent and the most severe because I managed to punch one of the men and spit in the face of another...That's why they chained me up with metal instead of rope and blinded me with a sack over my head. Without my hands or eyesight, I would be at the mercy of whoever I came across." You answered as you held Maria's hand and never broke eye contact with her, meaning every word you said because it was laced with nothing but the truth. By feeling your pulse through your thin wrist in her hand and seeing your gaze, even hearing the pain and rage in your voice, Maria could sense honesty on your part. Almost immediately, she wrapped her arms around you carefully, apologizing to you in English to make up for what those horrible men had done to you while she was also trying to keep her composure so she wouldn't cry herself. From what it appeared, Maria was a tough old lady, but she was fiercely protective and motherly. You knew that if no one else in the world looked out for you, then SHE would and you were grateful to have her by your side now as a trusted ally. That's why it was no wonder you reciprocated the hug as you buried your eyes into her shoulder, your hands clutching her jacket as you both stroked the ends of each other's hair. And all the while, Maria soothed you with her voice whispering 'Shh' to you as she pressed a final kiss against your forehead.

Then, after your short embrace, Maria gave you a small smile as she started to help you get dressed, letting you attempt to dress yourself first since you were an adult who looked to be her eldest son's age and since you had the ability of independence and self-reliance. But if you showed signs of extreme pain, then she would take over to fasten the clothes onto your person so you wouldn't over-exert yourself or worsen your current injuries. Slipping on the dark gray trousers and the black tunic with the red sash, you sighed peacefully as their warmth enveloped you like a cozy cocoon, bringing relief to your icy legs and upper body. Then, you slipped the brown leather boots upon your aching, icy feet as they no longer felt frost-bitten before you felt a black coat cover your matching tunic. Almost immediately, you felt the pleasurable sensation of a white hood with red trim and white fur around your neck, which made you laugh from how soft and ticklish the animal pelt was against your icy, sensitive skin as Maria smiled at seeing you so happy, until you felt its warmth blanket you to make you comfortable and sigh peacefully again. Finally, a leather belt was fastened to your waist even though there were no weapons in sight on your person, but you knew these people wouldn't just arm a stranger unless they could prove that there was no threat from you. Looking yourself over in your colors of red, white, brown, gray, and black, you blushed and almost cried tears of joyful relief because this was the most beautiful you had ever felt or seen yourself in a long while. But Maria wasn't done because she wanted to fix your matted, tangled tresses as she made you sit down so she could run a small comb through it gently and quickly before any of the guys came looking for you two for being gone longer than needed. As a finishing touch, she braided your (hair length) hair into matching twin pigtails like hers so it would be easier to deal with and so you would feel like you belonged in the camp before she tied them off with dyed cloth in your favorite color of (favorite color). After a few minutes, Maria straightened up around the tent before you two exited from it, holding hands once more as if you were mother and daughter with the older lady clutching the jacket her son had given you since you were cold and scantily garmented.

After a few steps, Maria sat you down on the ground on a small log near a fire that had been started by Darim. Then, the older lady returned her son's coat to him before sitting down beside you, one hand still clutching yours while her other arm was around both of your shoulders as you placed your other free hand over the one you both clutched to. Your expression was blank as you stared into the mesmerizing dance of fire that the wood gave off while it crackled with small pops; you were still in a state of shock even though you knew you were safe with these Assassins, but that was to be expected given what you went through. However, in time, you had faith that you'd recover from this ordeal even though this experience would change you forever. These kind people were going to do whatever they needed to do in Mongolia and then they were going to return you home safely, so you knew you'd be fine.

After a few seconds of watching the fire away from the cold breeze, you felt comfortable enough to nuzzle your head against Maria's shoulder as she grinned warmly with an old woman's chuckle to calm you down, her long fingers stroking through your loose twin braids. All the while, you noticed Darim looking at you from across the burning fire out of the corner of your eye and you wondered why because he always diverted his gaze with a blush like a lovesick schoolboy whenever you noticed him taking a second look at you. Unknown to you, the only reason he was doing so was because he thought you looked much more different than before, better and more beautiful even after you had been cleaned up by his mother. He wanted to say so aloud to let you know what he honestly felt, but he inferred that you were still scared of men in general after the Mongols changed your opinion of them and besides, he was too shy anyways to even get three words out to such a pretty girl like you. But you didn't push it so you just shrugged and went back to savoring Maria's kindness.

Shortly afterwards, the Mongolian men went off to gather more firewood from the woods while Altaïr was sitting and staring at you and his wife, his legs spread wide with his head down as his eyes only gave the occasional glance from under his eyebrows while his wrists were firmly pressed against his knees. In the meantime, Darim tended to the fire again and again with a long stick as he was bent over in the same manner as his father and taking shy glances at you before hiding a red blush and turning away whenever you noticed him, which only caused his father to look at him and smirk with a grandfather's muffled belly laugh. All jokes aside, both men were whole-heartily concerned for you as they watched how you grew so attached to Maria and wondered the same thing at the same time. What had the Mongols done to you while you were their unwilling captive?

After a few moments of savoring Maria's motherly gestures, she looked to you curiously before she replied, "My dear, my family and I are still curious about you, and we've noticed that you seem more comfortable around us than our Mongolian Brothers...So that's why we decided to wait until our friends left so I could maybe ask you some questions if that's alright with you. If not, we can always just let you eat and rest." You still didn't know if you should answer so you waited a few minutes in case retaliation would come from anyone around you for speaking or making eye contact due to your own free will before you finally nodded as silently as you could. Maria then asked you again if she could ask you questions as you nodded again before she pulled you closer to her so you and her were at each other's eye level. But before she could even get one word in, you made the slightest eye contact with the woman before diverting your gaze to the snow again while you stumbled over your words in English with a meek, trembling voice, "Ple-Please, if I may, M-Miss Maria....Can I...I ask a question before you?..."

"Certainly, my dear. You're not a slave here, so you won't be judged or retaliated against. We can also promise that no Mongol is going to take you away and hurt you again. We won't let that happen...But for now, you can relax. You just do what you must to feel comfortable before you share anything with us." Maria nodded as she gave you a small hug before you nodded with a simple 'thank you' until you pointed to Altaïr, stumbling over your words again in a meek tone, "Y...You...You're Altaïr...Ibn La'Ahad?...T-Th-The Eagle of Masayf?"

"Yes, I am. Do I know you from somewhere?" Altaïr questioned you as you shook your head before you answered meekly, "N...No, Sir...But I've journeyed all over the...the Kingdom...And I...I've heard of your quest to...to save Masayf and the Holy Land from the Templars and...Al Mua...Al Mu..."

"Al Mualim?" Altaïr asked you when he noticed you were having trouble pronouncing the name as you nodded sheepishly, "Y-Y-Yes, Sir...Al Mualim...S-S-So my family and I admire the Assassins...In fact, w-w-we are allies that offer w-w-whatever little money we c-can to the Levantine Brotherhood so t-th-they can help others wherever they are n-n-needed..." Then, you took a moment to catch your breath and collect your thoughts again before Maria asked, "But how did you get out here?"

"I...M-My parents knew how much I wanted to see the world...S-S-So they let me leave home when I-I was eighteen to travel the world...To get money for my journeys, I...I-I became a...a dancer...A-A while ago, I...I-I had finished a performance in my village on the outskirts of Masayf after being complimented verbally by a v-very nice member of y-you-your Creed...M-Ma-Maybe it was your son or someone similar, but I...I'm not too sure..." As soon as you finished mentioning the story of a member of the Creed complimenting your dancing performance near Masayf, Darim looked at you as if he was searching his internal consciousness for memories. As his baby blues gazed intently and gently at you, Darim's dark eyebrows rose as he tried to silence a gasp by biting his lip. Diverting his gaze to the golden fire, you took swift notice of his reaction as you gave your friend a puzzled expression while his parents did the same. You didn't know why he was reacting in that way, but you started to pay more attention to him as something seemed so familiar as more pieces of scattered memories started coming back in fragments where the dots were not ready to connect yet, even though you couldn't quite put your finger on it or make sense of it all.

However, you disregarded your mind's scattered memories even though your heart told you that Darim was somehow familiar to you and maybe he knew it too so you could continue your side of the story where you left off, "Now, where was I?...Oh, I remember...I wanted to leave early because I was traveling to China since I had never been there before b-bu-but I had heard good things about it and wanted to give it a try...And I was stopped on the road by the Mongols..." You started to answer the question until your eyes started to sting from the tears that wanted to spill out after a while of not being able to respond, make eye contact, or show emotion out of fear of being beaten by the Mongol men. Noticing your sudden reaction, Maria rubbed your shoulder as she suggested, "Please, take your time, dear...We don't want you to feel uncomfortable with disclosing any information you wish to tell us. Go at your own pace and only tell what you want to tell in order to answer our questions."

"Okay..." You nodded as you took heed of the advice before Altaïr sighed deeply and tried to give his determined wife some advice with a wave of his hand from afar, "Maybe we should stop. She's been through enough and we don't have to know her whole life story in one day. We can wait, Maria."

"No...W-W-With all due respect, Altaïr, Sir, I...I want to tell my story...if that's alright with you..." You shook your head back with your own protest as you tried to collect yourself. After a few moments, you saw everyone nod their heads and make eye contact with you as they awaited your words while you felt comfortable enough to complete your answer, "T-Th-They...They said I was trespassing and a-accused me of being a-an Assassin until they saw I bore no insignia or hidden blade...They also recognized I...I was no Templar or M-Mongolian native either...I...I-I was willing to give them what they wanted just s-s-so they'd leave me alone and le-let me be on my way to C-Ch-China...Money, food, weapons...A-Any-Anything they wished...But they wanted to whisk me away..."

"Why?" Darim asked from afar, his blue-green eyes still kind but with a hidden anger at the men who had done this to you, before you responded meekly, "T-T...To give me to Genghis Khan...They wanted to give me to their master...s-s-so I could be his personal c-con-concubine..."

As soon as that definition of womanly status left your lips, anger was present in the eyes and facial expressions of all the members of the trio family, but they were never rough with you in word or deed. Even if they all wanted to have a turn and jab a hidden blade down Genghis Khan's throat, they continued to be kind and gentle with you as you continued to answer them, "B-Bu-But I didn't want to go with them, s-s-so I fought back. I...I told them I wasn't going w-will-willingly a-a-and if they s-st-still wanted to take me, I-I-I wasn't going alive...I...I was prepared to stab myself with my own knife to keep d-d-due on my promise until one of them struck me in the head from behind...I don't remember much after that...All I remember is darkness after t-th-that because I didn't know h-h-how long I had been traveling w-w-with them or w-wh-where we were g-going..."

Once you had finished their first round of questions, you took a few moments to breathe deeply and catch yourself before Maria waited a few minutes so she could ask you more questions. From the looks of it, these Assassins were curious and had many questions for you, but they also seemed patient and were willing to wait as long as it took to get their answers because they wanted you to be comfortable so you could give honest answers without fear of being doubted or accused. After you were calm and managed to give a small squeeze to Maria's hand to reassure her that you were okay to continue the interrogation, you felt her rub your shoulders gently to keep you calm before she relayed what you had already confessed, "You said you were from a village near Masayf." With a nod to affirm that you were being honest, Maria pondered some more questions before she settled on one, "Might I be able to ask what your name is?"

"Of course, Miss Maria...M-My name i-i-is (Name)...I'm the only child of a retired Assassin Informant and his civilian wife..." You answered sweetly as Maria stroked some stray strands of hair from your face that had come loose from the braids before she smiled and repeated your name to put a name to a face as she liked the way it rolled off her tongue, "(Name)...What a good lineage to be a part of, and what a beautiful name to match such a beautiful face..."

"Is t-th-there anything else you require from me, Miss Maria?...A-Any-Anything else you wish for me to divulge?" You questioned your new allies before Maria shook her head slightly while she remained motherly with a smile directed at you and she teased Altaïr at the same time, "No, my husband is right, as much as I hate to admit it and stroke his ego...I believe you've answered enough questions for the day and you've suffered enough."

"Besides, we have more than enough evidence to prove to our Mongolian Brotherhood members that you're no Templar spy...But what you do require is food and rest since I'm sure my wife has given you medical treatment already." Altaïr replied as he rose slightly from his and Darim's log by the fire to stretch out his elderly legs with knees under trousers that looked like they were about to wobble out from underneath him. After attempting to make himself limber again, Altaïr felt exhaustion and injuries from an accidental arrow wound set in as his son helped him sit back down and made sure he was okay before Maria brushed herself off as she stood up from her log to announce, "I guess I'll be making dinner for all of us while our Brothers are gathering more firewood. You three sit tight and keep the fire going."

With nods and vocal affirmations of "Yes, Ma'am" towards the woman, Darim and Altaïr remained put as the younger man tended to the fire while the bearded Assassin sharpened his hidden blade with a nearby stone. However, you couldn't just sit by and do nothing even though you were a rescued guest in the camp. So it was no wonder you brushed off your new clothes and yourself while you rose from the log you were sitting on as you called out to the older lady, "Miss Maria?"

"Yes, dear?" Maria responded kindly as she turned to face you before you inquired, "May I help you with dinner preparations?...It's the least I can do while I'm residing in your camp. I feel as though I owe you all a great debt for saving my life and bringing me here, so I intend to pay you back now."

"You are not a slave here, (Name), but a guest that we saved from an enemy we intend to stop anyways. And you have nothing to owe us. Just you saying 'thank you' is enough repayment for us."

"But I want to help you, if you'll allow me...Just because I'm a guest and not a slave doesn't mean I can't help out with simple chores that any woman can do...Please, Miss Maria, I don't want to trouble any of you with my presence or come across as helpless and lazy."

"You don't trouble us and we do not perceive you as helpless or lazy..." Darim responded from afar as his posture became straighter and his eyes widened that you would even diminish yourself like that. Within seconds, his father straightened his posture with widened eyes of golden-brown as he nodded in agreement before Maria smiled back at you as she seemed to be thinking to herself with her index finger on her chin, "Nevertheless, it's been a while since I've been graced with the company of another lady, and that would be my youngest son's wife and daughters...But are you sure you really want to help?" With a small nod, you answered with a simple 'Yes, Miss Maria' before she took your hand while she responded, "Alright then. As you wish."

After Maria led you to where the food was kept in the camp, you and her began cooking a simple meal for six hungry adults as you paused in your stirring of the boiling water and the fragrant tea leaves to overhear a conversation Altaïr engaged in with the Mongolian men. You could only make out bits and pieces of the words, but from what you could understand, Altaïr was telling the men what you had told him and his family so they wouldn't suspect you anymore. After realizing the magnitude of what you had gone through, the two Mongolian men seemed to give you kinder looks from afar as if they trusted you a little more now than they did before as you smiled back with your gaze diverted shyly and resumed cooking with Maria. You even saw Altaïr and Darim stare at you from afar as you saw the bearded Syrian man whisper into his son' ear, to which the young man tensed up and sat up straight, seeming to be panicked in the way he protested his father with stutters. After his father and the Mongolian men started patting Darin's shoulder as they laughed their heads off to calm him down, the younger man diverted his gaze as if he were nervous about something before he tended to the fire for what seemed like the thousandth time. You even found yourself staring at Darim from afar as you felt a warm caress against your cheeks while you diverted your own gaze before Maria took heed and asked, "I think I know what's in your head. Should I reveal what I think I can see as clear as day?"

"S-Su-Sure..." You nodded with a shrug while she concocted the small supper together with a clever suggestion leaving her lips, "My eldest son Darim is very handsome and charming, isn't he?"

"Oh, I wasn't looking...I-I mean...I...I would never-" You stuttered as you tried to gather the proper words to create a coherent sentence before Maria gave a belly laugh with a gentle smile as she slapped her knee and almost fell forward off the log she was sitting on. Shortly afterwards, Maria grabbed your shaking hands so you would stop being so nervous as she announced, "I only jest with you, so it's quite alright, my dear..." Once you were calm and even had a laugh yourself after a while of being stoic to survive, Maria looked to her son before she sighed as if to relieve the burdens of her mind and heart, "Besides, even if you did think those thoughts, I wouldn't mind. It might be good for Darim to find a simpler life besides a life of being an Assassin like his father and I. We want him to make his choices since he's an adult who has free will, but it would be nice to see him settle down...His father's tried many times to ask him to go be with the rest of his family, but Darim just won't cave...But I strongly believe and hope that if his younger brother Sef was able to find love and a family, then so could he."

"Me too...Darim saved my life and made me feel comfortable here at the camp alongside you and your husband, and that is something I will always be grateful to you for...In truth, when I first looked into his eyes, I saw something in him, almost as if we had met somewhere before in this life or another and had not realized it...But I also saw that he was young like me but he had experienced much." You rambled on before you apologized profusely, "I'm sorry if I have bored you with my words, Miss Maria. Those were just the honest opinions in my head being displayed aloud."

"Oh no, dear! The truth is always a good thing to tell among friends, so it was a kindness that I too am grateful that you shared...But you were right to say he has experienced much because that is no lie; the boy is every bit like his stubborn father in both word and deed, not that that is a bad thing, of course." Maria nodded in agreement with you and your statements as she chuckled at her own statements before she grabbed up half of the hot meal while she beckoned you to follow with her free hand, "Now come along, (Name). These men are probably very hungry after being on their feet and traveling far, so they will need to replenish their strength again. You will need to do the same."

"Yes, Miss Maria." You nodded politely as you grabbed the other half of the hot meal and followed Maria to the burning pit of flame in the center of the three log seats arranged almost perfectly in the snow. The smell of the well-prepared food alone almost made your stomach rumble in pain and your dry mouth water as you wished to feel such warm nourishment down your throat. It was a meager amount for travelers who planned to go for long distances to hunt down wicked barbarians, but it would do for six people. Honestly, since you had been starved multiple times by the Mongols, you were grateful for ANY amount of food, even if it was just a crumb big enough for a mouse.

So, after passing out the food to everyone around the fire with a grateful 'thank you' expressed aloud to both you and Maria, you managed to sit down beside the woman you saw as your second mother. At once, the sweet aroma of the Mongolian tea and viscous, rice porridge overpowered the senses in your nostrils as you tried to control yourself so you wouldn't look like a ravenous animal with food flying to the ground and covering every inch of your face. But your stomach was rumbling as a feral instinct took over while you ate as quickly as you could in fear that it would be taken away once the sweet sensation of food hit your tongue. However, you nearly choked on the rice porridge as you gulped it down your throat only to spit it back out with a sharp cough while your tens of thousands of tastebuds became numb as they felt like they had licked the burning campfire. You felt so embarrassed by the way you were acting and almost put down the bowl to excuse yourself from the campfire to avoid crying or making yourself look stupid. The last thing you needed was pity or judgement from the people you grew to trust as your saving grace. However, looks of sympathy, not pity or disgust, was upon everyone's faces at seeing how much you had been starved by the Mongols as Maria patted your back while she suggested, "Be careful, dear. The food is very hot. You need to get some nourishment into you, not make yourself sick...Please, just take it slow."

Giving a slow nod and a simple 'Yes, Miss Maria' before apologizing profusely to everyone, thinking you had made everyone uncomfortable with your dishonorable behavior. At once, the older woman and the four men surrounding you told you not to be sorry as they tried to keep you from being upset because they understood your plight and didn't want you to feel uncomfortable. They also knew that you had been starved, so they couldn't blame you for trying to eat your food so quickly or guard it so fiercely as you clutched the bowl to your bosom. Therefore, you felt more at ease at knowing that you hadn't made anyone uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form as you started to take slow sips of the tea and rice porridge. The tea was very mild in flavor and seemed to be one given to the sick while the rice porridge was a little bland but still satisfying since it was very filling. But you could care less because ANYTHING would've been fine with you. Honestly, you would've eaten snow if you had to because that's what you had to do in the past to survive until the Mongols gave you permission to eat again after punishing you for long enough in their opinion. After they had finished eating, Altaïr and the other men rose from their seats as they walked off to a tent at the other side of the camp before you watched Darim slip something discretely into the leather pouch on his waist. Confused by what was going on, you looked to Maria for answers as you asked, "Where is everyone going?"

"They are Assassins that have battle plans to discuss, which means so do I...I'll only be a few moments. Unless, you'd like to come with me." Maria replied as she got up off the log to stand in front of you while you shook your head, "Oh, no, Miss Maria. You have important business to attend to. I can manage here."

"Well, I'll try not to be long." Maria assured you before she pulled a pouch of throwing knives from her own waist supplies before she asked, "These are some throwing knives of mine, but you can have them to defend yourself. I definitely trust you not to stab me or my fellow comrades in the back...Seeing who your father was, I'm sure you know how to use them."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you so much." You smiled as you took the pouch from the older woman and secured it to your waist on a leather belt you wore before Maria teased, "Think you can guard the fire and keep watch over the camp?"

"I think so..." You teased back before Maria started to walk off for the tent the others were inside while she replied, "Alright, you finish your supper. And if you see or hear anything, you run and tell us immediately. We'll know what to do." Then, with a small smile and kiss exchanged onto your forehead by the older woman, Maria made her way to the tent that belonged to her Mongolian comrades to speak with them about battle plans to take out Genghis Khan while you finished off your meal by downing the last of your rice porridge before you sipped the last few drops of tea. Wiping your mouth off with your ebony sleeve, you started to clean up after yourself as you picked up your cup and bowl before you took them to where the food was stored so you could clean them off with the melting snow near your feet and a rag you managed to find before you returned to the burning fire to keep watch.

Rubbing your hands together as if your wrists were still sore again, you sat closer to the fire as you blew warm breath into your fists before you placed your outstretched palms near the warmth of the orange glow, your thighs pressed tightly against your chest so your chin could easily test against your knees. Wrapping your arms around your knees with your chin resting against your bony joints, you stared into the fire as you watched it dance just as you did in your past performances while the wood crackled pleasantly. Just watching that alone started to lull you to sleep with such a pleasant melody to match a perfect harmony, but you promised Maria that you'd protect the camp, so you kept your hand inches above your pouch in case you needed to reach for a weapon. It seemed like a long time had passed since Maria left to speak with her group, but you weren't really keeping track. Eventually, you heard footsteps as you discretely pulled a knife from your pouch before you heard a familiar voice call out your name and say, "I'm back, my dear. I hope I wasn't gone for too long."

"You weren't, Miss Maria. Did your discussion of battle plans go successfully?" You asked curiously before Maria sighed but remained every bit pleasant towards you in order to keep you calm, "Actually, we were discussing about making arrangements for you first and I decided to come back to ask for your opinion."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, in the cave, we only have three tents that house two people each...Usually, Qulan Gal and his comrade stay together while my husband and I stay in another tent. My son usually stays in his own shelter alone...But since you're here, we can't let you sleep in the snow or else you'll freeze to death."

"So, I would be sharing with your son? Is that what you're saying?" You asked hesitantly as Maria nodded to affirm that you were guessing her thoughts precisely, "Yes...But if you would like to be in my company instead, I would be happy to switch places with my son. I just want you to be comfortable around us."

"Oh, no, Miss Maria...If a routine has already been established for the camp, then I don't want to be rude and intrude. I trust you, so I don't mind being around your son..." You protested while the older woman held your hand, massaging her fingers into your callused flesh, while she asked, "Are you sure, my dear? I really don't mind-"

"No, no. I...I-I'll be fine, I promise." You interrupted as you gave a confident nod before Maria kissed your forehead again and announced, "I have to go back to actually talk about battle plans, but I should be back. If not, I'll trust you'll look after the camp again." Giving her a nod and verbal affirmation of your promises, you proceeded to keep a sharp eye out for things as a good amount of time passed by. Watching the flames and the distance, your orbs of (eye color) scanned the area like a hawk as you remained as alert as possible until you heard footsteps crunching behind you in the snow. Reaching for your knives again, you managed to clutch onto one of them as you prepared to whip around in a striking manner at whoever was about to attack you until you heard a familiar voice call out, "Easy, Milady (Name), it's just me." Recognizing the formal speech and accent as Darim's, you used every ounce of willpower you could in your nerves of steel to keep yourself from smiling at the affectionate nickname he used for you even though you desperately wanted to on the spot. Turning around as you placed your knife back in your pouch, you patted the leather bag before you saw Darim sit next to you on the ground with his large legs crossed while he tended to the fire again with a stick. Seeing Darim up close, you saw his large build, enormous height, and handsome features more closely as he took occasional glances at you out of the corner of his eye before he diverted his gaze and tried to hide the heated blush that threatened to grace his tanned cheeks. You also gave occasional glances to Darim as you suppressed your own rosy blushes before you started rubbing your wrists and flexing your hands as you pulled your knees to your chest.

At once, Darim watched your every move before he questioned you in concern for your wellbeing, "Are you still cold?" After breathing warm air into your folded fists, you shook your head as you responded, "N-N-No, I'm fine..."

"Are you sure? I know I have a blanket or two in my tent; I can go fetch it for you if you require more warmth, Milady (Name)." Darim asked for your wellbeing as he started to get up to walk over to his tent before you shook your head and grabbed his hand to make him sit back down. In the same breath, you protested politely with the young man who looked to be in his twenties like you as you were still kind and gentle, "Oh, no, don't worry about me...I...I-I'm j-ju-just getting used to the warmth of the fire..." But all at once, you looked over slightly as you saw Darim sit back down on the ground beside you as he reached into his pouch, pulling out firm bread that was no bigger than a fist-sized stone. You recognized it as the meager three loafs of bread from supper, with each one of the six of you having half of a small loaf to yourselves as you literally broke bread together. However, Darim was giving one of the halves to you while he grinned politely with a gentle gleam in his bright eyes, "Here, take mine..."

"Is that real bread or some kind of magic trick?" You asked like a curious child as you could smell the yeasty aroma of the firm roll while Darim gave a belly laugh while he nodded, "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"D-Did...Did you steal this?" You asked in shock as you tried to ponder why Darim would do such a thing for someone like you before he shook his head with a small grin, "Not steal, save...It was once mine, but I didn't eat it. So now I'm giving it to you since you and I both know that you need it more than any of us."

"No, thanks..." You shook your head with a small grin to insinuate your gratitude for his selflessness but your polite refusal as you turned away, blowing warm breath into your hands as they were cupped near your mouth. However, Darim wouldn't cave as he held the bread in his hand still while he grinned again, "Come on, take it..." Seeing that there was no ulterior motive aside from genuine kindness and concern, your fingers brushed against Darim's as you felt the bread being dropped into your hand before you whispered, "T-Thank-Thank you..." Giving you a small nod and a smile while he said 'You're welcome,' Darim waited silently and stared at you and wouldn't resume his early activities until you took a small nibble of the bread, which made him smile upon seeing you nourish your body with the grains of God's good green earth before he began tending to the fire again.

However, after a few bites, you didn't want to be greedy even though it felt so good to get some more food in your belly. So, breaking off half of a half, you handed the other half of the bread back to Darim as he politely protested and tried to give it back to you. He claimed you needed the energy so you wouldn't be sluggish or starved to death again, but you claimed that you were willing to share because you didn't want to be greedy and take the food all for yourself.

For what it was worth, Darim found it very hard to argue with you because he had to look into your (eye color) eyes and upon your face to do so. You were just so ethereal to him that he found it hard to not cave into your prettily-made request. He couldn't even form three words in disagreement as he was mesmerized by your beauty, which made him believe that maybe you weren't human at all but were instead an otherworldly being sent to change his life for the better. You noticed several times that he stuttered over his own speeches as if he was trying to hold his tongue once it was bitten into harshly with his pearly whites, which made you giggle a little at how cute he was being. No eye contact was broken between the both of you as eyes of blue and (eye color) locked onto each other like a long-distance sniper using a scope to catch sight of their target. Eventually, Darim found that he couldn't fight you as he finally did one thing he rarely did to even his own family friends or family members. He caved in.

After your success at getting Darim to share the broken bread with you, you smiled as you saw the young man chomping down calmly on the firm roll as if it were an apple before you started biting into your own half of the bread. After you had finished munching on the bread as slowly as you could so you wouldn't make yourself sick, you swallowed the last of the succulent grains before you wiped your mouth with your sleeve to remove crumbs. However, you felt a small burp come up from the burrows of your gut into your throat as you covered your lips with your dominant hand balled into a fist, your shoulders shrugging upwards as a noise like a frog giving a weak ribbit escaped your body. Looking sheepishly at Darim, you used what ladylike manners you did possess to excuse yourself, only for the young man to chuckle at how cute and so much like a child you were as he said you were excused.

After a while of watching the fire dance and Darim's constant tending to the warm mass of light with his stick, you felt yourself grow sleepy as you rubbed your raw eyes. You tried to stay awake, you really did! But a long time of being on the road, running on very little sleep and relying on adrenaline from confronting your tormentors directly, was taking its toll on you as you felt yourself nod off. Sitting beside Darim, you really didn't mind having him there even though he was a man, and you really didn't pay much attention to your own actions since you were so out of it as you leaned back against the log that was pressed against your spine. Curling your arms up to rest against your bosom with your knees brought closer to your chest for warmth, you rested your head against the wooden log as you looked to be in the fetal position, appearing smaller than you actually were.

At once, Darim noticed how peaceful you looked as he poked the pit some more before he tossed more kindling into the flames. With a small smile, Darim got up slowly as he let you sleep before he went back to his tent to grab something really quick. Returning to find that you were still peacefully sleeping, your shoulders rising and falling with every steady inhale and exhale, Darim took the long cloth that was in his hand and placed it over your body as you slightly stirred. However, you soon sighed in relief as you snuggled into the warm blanket with a smile while still in slumber before Darim pulled his crossbow from his back so he could better defend the camp from enemies since he was taking the night watch. But he also wanted to protect you from harm in case any more Mongols crossed paths with you two. So, as he watched you sleep, Darim hoped you were having pleasant dreams now and getting your well-deserved, much-needed rest after going through Hell and back while he sat on the log so your head was centimeters away from his bony knee. But in the back of his mind, Darim thought your neck would be sore when you woke up again due to the uncomfortable position you were laying in on the ground, so he decided to act on impulse in order to make you more comfortable. Placing you in his lap as quietly and slowly as he could so you wouldn't wake up startled, Darim cradled you bridal style as he managed to get you more comfortable and lie you down on the log so you were on your side with your head in his lap. Then, the young man watched you stir and get your bearings in your new position with your eyes still shut until you eventually felt the pleasant warmth of Darim's thick thighs through his dark gray trousers before you smiled and sighed in relief. Looking down upon you to see you still so calm and collected, Darim gave his own gentle grin as he stroked his hand near his temple so he could tuck a stray strand of shiny black behind his ear before he found himself absentmindedly carding a callused hand through your scalp. He didn't know why he liked doing this so much or why he was doing this...But he was enjoying every second of being with you by your side and acting as your vigilant protector, your chivalrous medieval knight in shining armor. He was truly a natural at being a good source of consoling others younger or more innocent than him, through gestures or words. His presence always seemed to calm you even if Maria wasn't around and even if you were still wary of men. But given that he grew up in a loving home with supportive parents and he was an older sibling by two years to his brother Sef, it was no surprise that he was good at this. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept racing his thoughts around one central theme. He was very surprised to witness that you didn't fear him or try to get the living heck away from him, but he was more relieved than he was confused because he found himself growing attached to you the more time he spent with you, and he desperately wanted you to trust him. Even though it took him a few moments to recognize you as the street dancer from the village near Masayf that he encountered only once as a shy guy trying to even say three words in compliments to you and your abilities, you were much more than that to him now. You were a strong woman who was so close to being a concubine, a survivor of physical, mental, psychological, and verbal abuse who barely escaped with her life. He NEVER see you as weak and helpless, so he didn't pity you or treat you as such. Instead, he took to the actions of his group as if they were a hive mind thinking the same way. He knew you could defend yourself because of your partial Assassin lineage, just as his parents and Mongolian Brothers knew. He knew you didn't go down without a fight from the defensive wounds and scars you endured. But he wanted to protect you on his own so much that it wasn't even funny, even more so than his Mongolian Brothers and his parents. Therefore, he was determined to keep you safe as he vowed inwardly to anyone above in the heavens who would hear his prayers to get you home to your village, no matter the cost.

But honestly, the massage against your scalp felt so good to you as you fell deeper into deeper in slumber, so you didn't really care who was touching you since this was the first act of comfort that had been given to you since your first day in captivity until your rescue by Darim and his group of Assassins. In the meanwhile, Darim continued to watch over the camp, his index finger near the trigger of the crossbow in case he needed to fire an arrow to protect his allies. But he continued to stroke your hair as he looked off into the distance, giving occasional glances to you with a small smile on his face, until he heard someone call out to him from behind, "Darim, I just wanted to let you know what we were heading off to sleep-"

Giving a small 'shhh' with his index finger to his lips, Darim turned around to look the comrade in the eyes as they gasped and put their own index finger on their lips with a small 'shhh' escaping to insinuate understanding. At once, the Creed member made their way over to the young man as they knelt down to your eye level with their hands stroking a few strands of hair from your forehead to tuck it behind your ear before they smiled at their son. Then, they looked to the young man with a small laugh escaping their body before they announced, "I do hope she is dreaming pleasant thoughts. She needs that after all she's seen and been through."

"I know, Mother. That is my hope for her too, but I'm sure she'll sleep much better once she's back home."

"I believe you're right, Darim. We'll get her home at any cost, no matter what happens. That I can promise you." Maria responded as she looked you over once more as if she were your mother lulling you to sleep when you were a little girl. Then, looking to her son, Maria began to whisper a question to him as she was concerned for his wellbeing, "Are you sure you'll be okay taking the night watch?"

"I'll be alright, Mother. It's my turn anyways since Father took the watch the last time we made camp."

"Alright, as you wish, son. Be sure to put the fire out before you return to your tent." Maria commanded kindly as Darim gave his own nod of understanding before the older woman crept beside you so she was inches away from you. With a feather-light kiss to your forehead and a whisper of 'Safety and peace, my dear,' Maria rose up from the snow to make her leave as she waved goodbye to her son and exited to her and Altaïr's tent.

Once his mother was gone, Darim resumed his comfort towards you as he looked over the camp while lazily stroking your hair until he decided it was high time that he put out the fire and returned to his tent so you could properly lay down and get a good night's rest. So, securing his crossbow to the leather holster on his back again while he kicked some snow into the fire pit, Darim stretched his arms over his head as he moved you gently to avoid waking you and stood up. Then, scooping his large arms under your knees, Darim secured your entire body in his grasp as your head fell back limply against his shoulder like it were an instinct that would lead to more warmth and comfort. Taking featherlight steps, Darim tried to avoid crunching his leather boots in the snow to keep you from stirring awake as he used his free hand to sweep the flap of the tent aside, still clutching you against his body with the other arm since he was used to doing the same thing with his two nieces when they were tired while he was looking after them. As soon as the flap was wide enough to get you inside the shelter without waking you up, Darim laid you down on the blanket that was a protective barrier between your small body and the cold ground of the cave. Covering you with the other blanket again so you would remain warm, you snuggled into the warmth as you slept with your arms and knees drawn up to your chest so you could produce more body heat. All the while, you dreamt of sweet memories of meeting the male Assassin in your village near Masayf before your kidnapping as you came to a sudden realization in your sleep. You DID remember Darim because he was unlike any other man who flocked to you after a performance to compliment your graceful skill. He was shy and stuttering over his words as if he had never spoken to a person of the opposite sex before. He didn't ask you to marry him right after saying you were great at your craft. He didn't imply that he wanted to court you. He just complimented you and said he hoped to cross paths with you again before he was well on his way. And seeing his honesty through his handsome face and glowing eyes, you just KNEW that he was different, unique even! That's why you felt a small grin creep onto your visage as you fell deeper and deeper into slumber, still dreaming pleasantly of Darim. Not far from you, giving a swift grab to his crossbow, Darim left the flap of the tent open by placing a stone down to keep it in place while the moonlight came in upon your face and he looked out into the distance, making sure nothing and no one would dare invade the camp to harm anyone he cared for.

For the many days and nights that you spent with the Assassins of both the Levantine and Mongolian Brotherhoods, your strength gradually returned as food nourished your body. You didn't look as starved as you had before as meat started to come back onto your bony frame and the dark circles under your eyes weren't as prominent on your face as before. It seemed as though everyone else started to notice as they seemed pleased to see you doing better and becoming more trusting of them. Over time, not even the Mongolian men or men in general seemed to frighten you anymore as you grew more comfortable around the idea of sharing a tent with Darim since there was limited room in the camp or sharing a meal with everyone. Heck, they even let you have more weapons such as your own crossbow and a sword over a long period of time so you could defend yourself and even keep watch over the camp at night in a shift that rotated every single night among the six of you. Even Darim offered to teach you more self-defense techniques so you could be on the offensive and defensive in case a fight broke out between the Assassins and the Mongols. You weren't the type to run away from a fight because you were a little bit of a confrontational aggressor when provoked. And over time, you started to have feelings for Darim even though you tried so hard to deny it because he was an Assassin leading a dangerous life that was unstable and unpredictable and he seemed very focused on the cause of helping others for the greater good. However, your golden heart was persistent evermore than your logical mind as Maria noticed and tried to encourage you to tell Darim just in case something tragic were to happen, which caused Altaïr to give dating advice to his own son from afar after noticing Darim's reactions towards you. Darim tried to deny his growing feelings for you as well, but he felt unable to as he started to cave into his heart's desires more than his mind's rationale.

However, the day you went with the Assassins to take out Genghis Khan, you assisted in using black powder arrows to draw out the men until you followed Darim on horseback to save the life of another comrade and to also take the life of the man who wanted you as a concubine. No one deserved that honor more than you and you were darn well going to take it now that you were a Sister of the Creed. As you overturned the Mongolian leader's horse so he was trapped underneath the large animal, Genghis Khan vowed that his reign of terror would never end so long as he still had followers and descendants. But before Darim could put an arrow through his flesh, you went over to the Mongolian as you asked him, "Do you know who you're dealing with, or are you just foolish and willing to die a murderer of innocents?"

"And why should I know who I'm dealing with, hussy?" Genghis Khan grunted as you death-glared each other before you dug your gauntlet into his thick neck close to his shoulder, your hidden blade ringing like a bell as you struck and he screamed before you announced, "Because I was the concubine that was supposed to be delivered to you, but now, I'm the Assassin who's going to end your life." Digging your blade further in as blood coated your gauntlet, you stared at Genghis with a fire in your eyes as he started to show fear at being defeated by a woman until Darim put the man out of his misery by letting an arrow fly at his beating heart. But even though you knew it was over, you still wouldn't stop as you drew back your hidden blade and brought it down multiple times over Genghis Khan's flesh while the whole scene looked like overkill. One, two, three, four times your blade drew back, punctured, then pulled out again as you yelled like a battle cry with a raw throat that was dry from cold and overexertion. Smacking your armored gauntlets hard enough to crack the bones in the Mongolian's rigid body, Darim tried to calm you as he had to pull you off of the man until you finally stomped on the enemy's stomach and spit in his face. You didn't know why an uncontrollable rage overcame your common sense like that, but you couldn't take it back. You had wanted revenge since your rescue from captivity and you got what you wished, even if it meant flying off the handle at the man who was meant to have his way with you and be the father of your sons and daughters against your will. You really couldn't be blamed for going too far, but it still made you feel embarrassed for doing such an action in front of a fellow comrade, especially one you harbored romantic feelings for. Darim had seen the rage and pain with his own eyes and was just as surprised as you at what you had done, but you both dared not say anything as you returned to camp. Darim didn't blame you for acting that way even though you were desecrating a dead body instead of killing a body with one strike honorably, but because you both were silent as mice, you didn't know what he was really thinking. But you did know one fact to be true once you returned to camp. You were finally going back to your village near Masayf and the Ibn La'Ahad family was going to make sure you got gone safely, just as they promised all those long months ago.

However, many thoughts raced through your mind as you slept that night after the assassination of Genghis Khan in a change of lighting much different from the other nights you spent in you and Darim's tent. When you were keeping watch over the camp as the lookout, this problem never seemed to happen because you were wide-awake and alert, surrounded by the light of the campfire or the moon above. But this issue of being restless most often happened at night whenever you perceived the environment around you to be darker, even if they were closed tightly in slumber. That's why you tried to be the night watchmen as many times as you could without arousing suspicion or concern from your comrades. If you couldn't get to sleep easily without thinking of your life in captivity, then you could turn your attention to protecting your loved ones to distract yourself from your negative mental torture. So more often than not, you were the lookout who took the night watch because you couldn't sleep due to being afraid of the images that repeated in your head like a pest of a mantra. And now with the animalistic way you attacked Genghis Khan even after he passed and the way Darim looked at you, it only added to your internal turmoil. As this night started to drag on, you started to feel not quite like yourself as you had a stronger difference threshold in your new setting of lighting. It was not as bright as before when you normally dozed off and it seemed darker, almost as if a perpetual blackness blanketed you. This started to scare you a little bit as you found yourself unable to move even an inch as if a sorcerer had possessed you, forcing you to suffer whatever tortures your OWN mind put you through. Had you been in modern times, a skilled sleep specialist would've explained that you were in R.E.M sleep and experiencing R.E.M. paralysis so your body could properly heal itself without being disturbed. But you were currently in Mongolia during the early 1200's after being born in the Holy Land during the time after the Third Crusades, so you thought you were in some real danger. You thought you were back in the Mongol camp, a burlap sack over your head to create an illusion of eternal darkness in your field of vision and chains of iron binding you to Beacon's saddle. Memories of the numerous verbal insults and physical beatings from the Mongols flooded your brain while new images of assassinating Genghis Khan in barbaric brutality and Darim's reaction found a way to enter in the cracks of your once-pleasant dreams. To keep your sanity, you inwardly tried to pray above to the heavens to block out the negative thoughts. But the forces of great blankets of darkness were overpowering the last beams of light left inside you.

Holding back the pained, small whimpers that so desperately wanted to escape through your throat, you started to tremble as if you were shivering while you remained in slumber until you finally snapped up. With your arms behind you to anchor you as you sat up, you ran a shaking hand through your braided (hair color) tresses as minute strands started to stick to your forehead, your entire frame drenched in layers upon layers of cold sweat. Shivering out of fear and the addition of sweat on your entire body to add more moisture, you decided to get out of the makeshift bed and stay awake to avoid seeing such images in your head again as you tried to wipe off the sweat with your sleeve. Then, noticing that Darim was not anywhere near you and you were inside his and your shared tent, you found your legs moving slowly as you exited the shelter to look for him, trying your best not to panic or wake up anyone else in the camp.

Finding that the fire was out and that everyone else was asleep, you found yourself wandering around the camp as you started to wonder where Darim was. You knew everyone else wouldn't know where he went because they were asleep, but you also tried to come up with a logical explanation as to his whereabouts and wellbeing. You were so worried in this current moment that you couldn't even think straight. The longer he was gone, the more anxious you started to become. Clutching the blanket you had around you in your sleep tighter to your shoulders, you tried not to cry as you became frightened that maybe Darim was watching over the camp as a lookout (since you knew it was his turn tonight) and maybe, just maybe, the Mongols who survived the battle invaded in the night. Even though you tried not to fear the worst, the darkness was so persistent on troubling you after what you just dreamed moments ago.

"Are you alright, Milady (Name)?" A voice called from behind you as you whipped around with a throwing knife in your hand, swiftly pulled from your leather pouch upon instinct, as wild eyes of (eye color) gazed at startled eyes of blue-green. At first, you thought it was a Mongol sneaking up behind you and you were prepared to strike out at him to get revenge for what they all had done to you or even Darim. However, hearing your affectionate nickname in that Arabic accent snapped you out of your animalistic rage as you recognized Darim, who was standing with his hands up in surrender, as he soothed gently, "Whoa, whoa, whoa...Easy, Milady. I mean no harm..." Trembling with the knife still in your hand, you found yourself frozen on a full bodily scale from petrified terror as you couldn't relax your racing heart while you clutched it tightly through your tunic. You also couldn't lower your arm as it stood rigid while Darim took cautious steps forward as not to arouse your fear and cause a panicked frenzy of attacks again like you did earlier with Genghis Khan before he interrogated you, "(Name), are you alright?" Finding it was very hard to answer the concerned question because your mouth was so dry and you were still shaking like a leaf, you couldn't even get three words in as Darim brushed his long fingers against your trembling fist, making you drop the thin blade as he took it from you and secured it back inside your pouch.

Once he was in front of you again, Darim held out his callused right hand out for you so you could choose to take it or not, which made you think it over for what seemed like forever. You thought Darim would hate you and think you were some kind of monster for what you did to Genghis Khan, so you didn't know how to react to his kind gesture. But his baby blues showed no hatred directed towards you as you finally clutched his hand tightly and met his gaze. With his fingers absentmindedly massaging your hand while it was clutched in his, Darim pacified you enough with his gestures before he noticed how cold and clammy your skin felt against his warm flesh as he nearly gasped out a response while he stroked a large palm through your loose braids as they felt moist in his grasp, "You're so cold and covered in sweat! Are you sure you're alright, Milady (Name)?"

"J-Ju-Just startled with you c-com-coming up from behind, Darim, nothing more...But I-I assure you that I'm alright. I...I-I promise..." You answered, still trying to calm yourself down from your panicked anxiety, as Darim gave a small nod. He completely understood why you didn't really want to say much, given what happened on this day, but he knew you were hiding something either out of fear or self-preservation. Why you seemed to be hiding things, he didn't yet know. So, you were greeted with a perplexed expression with dark eyebrows knitted close together like a unibrow as Darim bit the inside of his cheek to gather his thoughts before he humbly suggested, "Let's get you back to the tent...You need your rest before we make the journey home to Masayf." Giving a hesitant nod as if you were the shy girl who first met Darim again, you let him lead you back towards your shared dwelling with his arm around your shoulders and his hand still clutching yours.

Once back at the tent, Darim opened the flap of the tent with a sweep of his bicep before he sat you back down in the makeshift bed. Sitting beside you so that you both were sitting with your legs crossed, shoulders and knees touching so a single parchment could fit between the thin space, Darim kept holding your hand with his arm slung around your shoulders before he waited for you to initiate a conversation. When you didn't offer up any information first, Darim began to speak to you as he asked, "Do you wanna talk to me or should I just keep talking?"

"About what?"

"About why you were awake when it's not your turn to take the night watch." Darim responded as you looked off into the distance from what you could see outside the tent's entrance so you didn't have to look at your crush until he whispered, "Unless there is a specific reason as to why you're awake, you should really be asleep..."

"No reason, just can't seem to stay asleep. Besides, I don't sleep much anyways, so I prefer taking the night watch." You shrugged lightly as Darim noticed your hesitation to tell the truth. It's not that you were lying to his face, but he knew you were reluctant to divulge personal information. As many times as it had been recognized that you had been through awful things that could justify your current actions, it was still not good for you to bottle things up. A container could only hold so much before it burst...which is what was happening to you now as you breathed oxygen through your lungs and avoided eye contact with Darim. However, Darim was confused by your prior statements about being restless and preferring to guard the camp because of said insomnia until he gave an implication of his internal thoughts, "I don't believe that you're restless just for no reason...There's always a motive for one's actions and thoughts because nothing is done in vain, Milady (Name), so there must be a reason for your being restless." You didn't know why, but it was in this moment where you felt the most comfortable around Darim. Maybe he understood you and empathized with you. Maybe he wasn't and didn't. Maybe you had no frigging clue. Whatever the case was, you felt you could say ANYTHING to your crush that your golden heart or logical mind wished to convey, feel anything you wanted to feel, without any catches or strings attached.

At once, you leaned your head against Darim's shoulder as he continued to hold you hand with his arm around your shoulders before you admitted the truth matter-of-factly like you were giving a grand speech to a group of warriors going to battle alongside you, "I am restless because I'm afraid of what I've become...A monster, a victim, a fool...Any of those descriptions seem accurate enough...I...I put myself in that kidnapping situation but I didn't get myself out; you did...If I had just stayed away from China and my other quests, if I had just stayed and married in my village near Masayf, I would've never-" You hesitated a moment to avoid crying even though the sheer action took all your strength away. However, one tear from each eye rolled down both cheeks as they hit the gray trousers on your legs while you dug your fingers into your tunic to make a fist. Darim turned to face you as he watched your every move before he felt sad for you. Sad that you suffered at the hands of mortals in the form of barbaric Mongols, sad that you saw yourself as a feeble derelict, sad that you once saw yourself as a slave who couldn't and shouldn't accept help because of your submission to avoid death, sad that you believed it was your fault for what happened to you based upon choices you made long ago, and sad that you believed the evil phantoms that tore down your essence from the inside with negative thoughts. You looked into his eyes and felt your heart literally crack in jagged lines only to end up in a gargantuan pile from a sharp shatter as you saw his baby blues glaze over for you and only you, his own heart breaking for your plight. Despite all that, you did manage to speak again, even in a broken tone that was laced with a lump from tears that pricked your eyes, as you said with a somber grin, "But I can't lie and say all nights are bad; sometimes, I do dream of my childhood or you and your family spending time with me, even the day we met before I left for China...However, other nights, I rely on fake smiles and adrenaline to survive the next morning and curb suspicions for others concerned about my overall wellbeing. That's why I feel safer when I'm awake during the night watch...You can't be hurt by what you don't face...At least when I'm protecting you all, I'm distracted and feel like I don't need to fight anymore because I actually do have safety and peace for a change. At night, I don't feel like less of a human because of my feral behavior towards the Mongols or myself nor do I feel like I'm trapped in darkness or chains because I'm free to roam where I please and surrounded by the glow of a campfire or the Moon in the heavens above. For just those few brief hours alone, I can feel loved and not hated by everyone because then I know that my recent past can't come back to haunt me in my dreams."

After revealing your innermost secrets with a large sigh, your head lowered down in shame, and your eyes closed tightly, you felt more tears grace your cheeks while they slid down in lines as if in a perfect rhythm. You didn't even bother to wipe them away since you felt so numb with no more energy left to fight back against yourself. You couldn't even contain your emotions anymore because the stoic demeanor wasn't needed. Darim was no village idiot because he could see through the illusions as clear as day. He and the others of the camp just chose not to say anything in order to keep you from feeling uncomfortable or somehow put on the defensive if you were accused with swift judgements and multitudes of fingers pointing at you. But now, he felt as though he couldn't sit by and watch a lady hurt herself and be hurt by her own mind as he pressed himself closer to your tinier frame so both of you were at perfect eye level. At once, Darim hesitantly put his hand close to your face as you didn't even bother to slink away in fear of a man's touch before he cupped your chin in his thumb and index finger so he could make you look at him. He was so gentle with you that even the most sensual lover who was courting his beloved delicately would be jealous. Then, moving his hand up to cup your cheek instead, Darim locked eyes with you and never broke contact as he admitted, "If you think I or any of the others hate you for what you did to Genghis Khan or any other actions you're apologizing for, then please put those thoughts out of your head because they are false...I don't blame you for your actions because I would've done the same if it were me, but I also wouldn't blame myself for doing what I loved...Don't think for one second that you are being taught a lesson or punished somehow for being a woman who loves to travel because you're not."

"Then what do you think?" You asked, curious to learn Darim's mental processes, as the young man stroked a stray strand of hair behind your ear, "It's no coincidence we crossed paths at your performance near Masayf, just as it was no coincidence that we met again when I and my fellow Brothers saved you from the Mongols...I don't know why and I didn't know what would happen between us until now, but I believe that maybe we were fated to meet. We did say we hoped to see each other again, and we got what we wanted, although the circumstances were not ideal."

"But why help me? I'm just a s-" You began your sentence as you tried to refer to yourself as a slave before Darim cut you off with his own words, "Survivor who did whatever it took to stay alive and avoid being a concubine. A sweet young woman who did everything for everyone but forgot herself in return..." Then, giving a kiss to your forehead, the first intimate gesture that had ever been done to you by anyone aside from Maria, Darim decided to be more thorough in his answer as he faced you directly, "But I realize I didn't answer your question so I'll do so now...I help you because I have a choice and I can't leave a hurt individual alone to suffer. But I also choose love over hate."

"What do you mean?" You questioned with a confused face and tone of voice before you were cut off by soft lips pressed against your own. Your eyes widened at seeing Darim in front of your face with his eyes closed, his arm still slung around your shoulders while his other hand cupped your cheek and his lips made the gentlest contact. Like two virgins kissing for the first time, Darim continued to press his lips to yours as you felt yourself go limp from how good the make-out session made you feel. Lifting both of your arms up beside Darim's body, you tucked your braids behind your ears before you wrapped both of your arms around Darim's neck, with your fingers carding through the man's hair with one hand in a constant rhythm and the other hand flexing and releasing the tresses every so often while he deepened the kiss. Enjoying this moment, you felt yourself be lifted by Darim as he placed you in his lap while he continued to kiss you. However, you both needed oxygen as you two released your lips. Resting his forehead against yours so your noses were almost touching, Darim and you started to huff until the man whispered something so sweet in Arabic. The average person wouldn't have understood it, but you could translate the language and its message filled you with hope of healing from this ordeal, not alone, but with a man and his family by your side. Darim was not always good at revealing what was in his head or sharing feelings, but it seemed he could be comfortable around you (aside from his parents or many uncles, whom he always went to when troubled) as he revealed how much he loved you. He even spoke of your vast knowledge, your graceful beauty and hidden strength, as he kissed you again and almost brought you to tears with his sweet words.

Shortly afterwards, you repeated the words 'I love you' he said to you back in Arabic as he felt you rest your head on his shoulder with your arms going lower to wrap around his waist, creating a smile from him as he enveloped you in his embrace with a tender kiss to your forehead. Running his fingers through your hair lazily as he hugged you tightly with his large arms around your smaller physique, Darim comforted you as he whispered sweet nothings such as 'Shhh' and 'There, there' to you until you released all of your tears and fears after being forced to hold it all in for so long while in Mongolian captivity. With gentle pats to your back and his head resting against your shoulder, Darim held you like he would his little brother Sef when they were kids in need of each other's comfort in times of need as he suggested that you get all the pain out so it couldn't haunt you anymore. You both didn't care if anyone else in the camp heard you; you also didn't care if they came to your tent to investigate where the crying was coming from. Darim was just concerned for you and was willing to do whatever it took to put your mind at ease so your body could relax.

As soon as you were calm and breathing gently with only a few tears sliding down your cheeks and a few sniffles escaping your body, you broke away from Darim as you both held hands with both of your palms locked together. After a few seconds, the young man asked you if you were okay, to which you nodded to as if finally sure of yourself, before he wiped your tears away with his gloved hands. Then, Darim patted his lap as he suggested, "Come here, you need your rest..." Despite all of those recent events in this moment, you were still hesitating, even though you knew Darim loved you and would be there for you, no matter what. However, Darim could notice and he made you feel comfortable as he grabbed your hand and patted his lap again with a smile on his face, "You'll be safe with me because I can protect you. You can trust me." Seeing no dishonesty in those baby blues, you laid your head down in Darim's lap as he readjusted you so you were comfortable against his crossed legs before you felt his gloved fingers gliding through your (hair texture) tresses. With one hand on the trigger of his crossbow and his other hand gliding through your scalp, you could hear Darim softly whispering things to you as he admitted with a soft smile, "My younger brother always used to get nightmares when we were children, but I can't lie and say I didn't have nightmares either...Sometimes I sang lullabies, other times our mother did...And more often than not, our Uncle Malik would comfort us...I know it's very soothing to hear a familiar voice when you're scared, so if you'd like, I could maybe sing something for you."

"You...You'd really do that for me?" You asked like a confused child before you heard Darim chuckle for the first time at how cute you were while he answered, "Of course..." Then, with his hand still gliding through your braids, Darim's stomach vibrated against your head as you heard the rumble of a hum erupt. Then, soft music as quiet as passionate whispers burst from the young man's vocal cords as he sung many sweet words to you. At once, your eyes felt heavy as you yawned against Darim and curled your arms and legs to your chest. Then, you started to mumble as you whispered, "I love you...Safety and peace, Darim..."

"I love you too, Milady (Name)...The same to you..." You heard Darim whisper back as your eyes fluttered shut and the sounds of the lullaby drowned out once your ears went numb in the realm of slumber.


	8. Sef Ibn La'Ahad X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hello, lovelies! Here's another Assassin's Creed one-shot for the Levantine Assassins, especially Altaïr's youngest son Sef. I do hope everyone enjoys because he has no screen time and not much is known about him except that he had a family in canon. I also apologize humbly if this fanfiction is very cheesy and short, but I went with the first idea that came to mind and this is what happened. Also, I couldn't hurt the Al-Sayf brothers in my fanfiction (just as I've done in other fanfictions for this series). Happy reading; safety and peace.

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD OF ASSASSINS - (One-Shot Series) 

________________________________

You were once a female civilian from Masayf until you decided to help out the Assassins who had done a lot for you and others in the Holy Land. So, when you were thirteen, you trained very hard to become a head nurse for the Levantine Brotherhood, charged with healing the sick and injured men and women who risked their lives every day. You did know some fighting skills with a sword after being taught by the famous Mentor himself, Altaïr Ibn La'Ahad, the Eagle of Masayf, but you rarely had to use them. All in all, the main reasons why you loved your occupation so much was that you got to hear many war stories from your thousands of patients and you adored helping others. But one male patient in particular seemed to take your breath away as well as your attention. 

One beautiful sunny day in Masayf, close to noon, you were finishing your rounds as you strolled the halls where a few male Assassins and a couple female Assassins were recuperating. There weren't as many injuries or illnesses this month as they had been in previous instances, which you were grateful for because it meant that it was easier for you and your team to give undivided attention to every patient. The fewer, the better. And since you were the leader of the medical team, you were often called for a second opinion or to administer more-difficult procedures that your lower-ranked nurses couldn't handle. But now, you felt like you could relax a little after working long hours around the clock to make sure all your patients were well-taken care of. No wonder you were so beloved and cherished by all the patients who came to you! 

Come to think of it in your present state of rest on a bench, you had one male patient in particular that got your attention as soon as he became your patient the first time he was ever injured. And who was this man, one might ask? Why, he was Sef Ibn La'Ahad, the youngest son of Mentor Altaïr and his former Templar wife, Maria Thorpe, and the little brother of Darim Ibn La'Ahad. While you thought Sef was a good looker, because there was no doubt that he was since lots of girls flocked to flirt with him, he was very charismatic with some of the old arrogant cockiness of his father coming out, especially when he relentlessly flirted with you. He was very subtle in his advances, never pushing you and never being provocative unlike a scarce few male patients you encountered in the past (mainly Abbas, Swami, and a few others who didn't know when to quit asking you to marry and/or bed them). Most of the time, he just made you laugh because he was so ridiculously cute when he flirted with you. Once, he nearly made you cry tears of joyful gratitude when he told you that he thought you were so overwhelmingly beautiful that you must've been a guardian angel from the heavens that was created just for him. Another time, for example, he made you laugh with your hands over your entire face to cover up a blush as red as his waist sash when he told you that he thought he couldn't breath because you took his oxygen away so if you really were magical, maybe you could give him a kiss to bring him back from the brink of death. Needless to say, you encouraged the coquettish teasing because you found yourself developing a small crush for Sef over time that eventually turned into a dating relationship. However, you always found yourself in the same predicament, administering medicine to the ill teenager as he laid in bed or ripping up gauze to patch up the newest wound he acquired on his bronzed, muscled physique. Often times, you would turn into his second mother as you would scold him whenever he came to you as a patient more than a normal Assassin should because you felt that he was just making up illnesses or getting injured on purpose to receive your attention and treatment. You told him to not be so reckless and to be more conscientious of what he was doing next time so he wouldn't get seriously hurt or killed since he did make you sprout gray hairs, your heart palpitate out of normal rhythm, and your nerves tremble with worry. You were really lucky that you weren't pregnant or else the baby would be able to feel your anxiety and stress. In the same breath, Sef was very persistent that he wasn't being careless. He was just very klutzy according to his own paraphrasing. 

However, you were soon interrupted from your thoughts and break by a chaotic commotion outside as you heard two men shouting at each other in curses of English and Arabic. Rolling your eyes in annoyance at being interrupted in your moments of peace with a slight curse leaving your lips, you decided to look out the window at the two men who were fighting as you recognized both Assassins. One was the younger Sef Ibn La'Ahad, youngest son of Mentor Altaïr and his former Templar wife, Maria Thorpe, while the other opponent was Abbas Sofian, former best friend of Altaïr now turned rival. They were really going at it as their shouting could be heard through the entire fortress until it echoed over the hills to reach the village. Why they were arguing, you didn't really know yet, so you decided to investigate as your curiosity got the better of you. Once you sprinted down the stairs and got through the crowd by gently pushing them aside, you saw Sef and Abbas engaged in a shouting match as the younger man had his finger wagging in the older man's face, "How dare you say such things about her!!!"

"Why not, Ibn La'Ahad?! She's a poor excuse for a woman!" Abbas retorted angrily at the young teenager before Sef got in the face of his father's rival again, "Only because she refuses your advances! But she's an amazing woman who just happens to be my lover! So you have no right to speak of her in that way!"

"I actually have the free will to say and do as I please. Like she would ever love anyone like YOU!!! Besides, I certainly don't answer to you, you yapping whelp!" Abbas shouted as he started shoving Sef backwards as the younger boy staggered back and fell on his back. With a smirk, Abbas started to walk away as Darim ran to his brother to help him off the ground. However, Sef was livid beyond human comprehension towards Abbas and you knew why they were arguing. The older man could've said ANYTHING about SEF and the younger Assassin would've been able to defend himself. But Abbas was talking about YOU! Therefore, Sef growled with his fists in the dirt as he rose to his feet and charged at Abbas, tackling the man to the ground as the two opponents grunted and rolled around. With other novices gathering around in a circle yelling 'Fight, fight, fight' in chants as if they were making monetary bets on the competitors while watching a sport in a bar, Abbas and Sef looked like two squirrels fighting over a nut as they were tangled in each other's limbs. At once, you tried to get through the shouting and shoving crowd as they kept keeping you from seeing the action. At the same time, Darim and Swami got into a shouting match too over the actions of the members of their respective sides, with Swami saying that Sef was a hot-headed idiot like his father who needed to be put under control like a dog while the older son of Altaïr was protesting the accusation by saying that Sef didn't start the fight but Abbas did because he didn't know how to keep his big mouth shut and not to involve his father, also claiming that if Abbas wasn't so much of a salty coward who had to use force to get what he wanted and was always easily offended by everyone, then they wouldn't even be fighting right now.   
Just as another fight was about to break out between Swami and Darim, you finally managed to find an opening in the crowd to push through to break up the fight. You shouted at all four men as you stared daggers at them before you tried to get in be middle of the two separate brawls, "HEY!!! All of you, stop fighting before someone gets hurt!"

"Mind your own business, girl!" Abbas shouted gruffly as he managed to use all his body weight to shove you down to the ground during the squabble while you fell face-first in a position that resembled someone who had failed at doing one push-up. At once, you heard a 'HEY!!! No one hurts an innocent, especially not my lover and especially not you!' from Sef as you saw Abbas get clocked in the jaw by your lover before the younger son of Altaïr started to go to town with a frenzy of hits as he had the older man pinned under his thighs pressing against his diaphragm to trap him in. With punch after punch, Abbas's head flew left and right as blood exited the right corner of his mouth and his left nostril. At the same time that you were getting up from being shoved, you had some help as Kadar helped you to your feet and asked, "Are you alright, Sister?" 

"Yes, I'm fine." You nodded while Altaïr, Rauf, Malik, and Maria got involved to pull the two men involved in the brawl apart before you held Sef's hand with your arm around his waist so he wouldn't spring free to attack Abbas again. At the same time, Rauf held Abbas in a headlock to keep him from charging angrily at Sef before Altaïr shouted, "Enough fighting, both of you! Go your separate ways and clear the training arena now!"

"You heard the Mentor! The show is over, so go back to your training, Novices!" Malik practically screamed at the top of his lungs while he pointed his index finger towards the arena as Kadar tried his best to round up the rowdy, younger Assassins. After the situation was pacified, Abbas gave one more insult towards Sef as he whispered hatefully, "We'll have our time."

"Yes, we will. I look forward to it." Sef hissed under his breath before you grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the medical wing, as you suggested, "Come on, Sef. Let's get you somewhere private to get you cleaned up." Giving one last look of animosity to Abbas as the older man's back was turned, Sef finally followed you to your office in the medical facility of the fortress as you locked the door behind you and began scrambling for supplies. Once you found the pasty medicine and gauze, you ripped the ivory sheets with your fingers before Sef asked you, "Are you alright, (Name)? Abbas shoved you pretty hard."

"I'm fine, no scrapes or anything on me. Besides, I've accidentally tripped down the stairs in the fortress before, so I've been through worse. But I do have to agree that he can be stubborn and impulsive." You answered with a smile to lighten the mood before you looked Sef over. In your eyes, your expert opinion told you that Sef's wounds logically didn't look too bad since Abbas got the brunt force of your lover's adrenaline-fueled rage. However, you wanted to prevent infection from the few cuts and scrapes your lover did obtain in the fight. Therefore, you filled a small bowl with water from a jug as you dipped a small, tan rag into it. Wringing it out harshly to remove any moisture, you held it out towards Sef as he could practically feel its frigidness before you cooed, "Now please hold still. This may sting a little." Pressing the rag against a forming bruise that had come to start the birth of a black eye, Sef winced with a hiss escaping his clenched teeth until he could feel the relief. 

In the meanwhile, you grabbed the gauze and the medical paste as you commanded, "Keep that cold rag near your eye while I bandage your knuckles." Doing as he was told with a nod, you grabbed his free hand as you rubbed the medicine into the reddened, bony structures before you wrapped his hands as if he was going to engage in kickboxing in a few minutes. Then, you asked for his other limb to bandage it too as he switched hands to make sure one of them was covering his eye with the cloth while you went about your job as a nurse. 

Once Sef was bandaged and healed, you wet the cloth again and wrung it out to make Sef press it against his eye again before you put away your medical supplies. Then, you sat down again while you sighed deeply, "While I appreciate you defending me, I don't appreciate you fighting a fellow Assassin, as much of an idiot he is, or coming back to me with looking like someone beat you half to death."

"He was desecrating your honor and he physically hurt you. I couldn't just stand by and let him do that." 

"I know and I thank you for defending me.  But, Sef, I don't want you coming back to me in serious conditions or dead. I don't think I could take that." You replied as Sef hugged you from the side with his arm slung around your shoulder and a kiss pressed against your temple. Then, the young man was able to smooth-talk you as he always did while he grinned, "I would've ever get hurt on purpose or leave you, (Name). But I will always defend your honor because you're a good woman. You can't get rid of me so easily because then you wouldn't have a future husband and father of our many children." 

"I thought we agreed on one or two children if and when we decided to get married." You teased back with a laugh as Sef feigned hurt while he clutched his heart before he nuzzled into your neck to press his lips against your sensitive skin, "Oh, you wound me! I was sure we said that we would have so many children that we would hundreds of new Assassins in the Creed and new villagers to live in Masayf."

"Sef!" You laughed as his soft muscles felt ticklish before he laughed back and held both of his hands up in surrender while his facial expression was over-exaggerated, "I only jest with you. I remember only agreeing on two children if and when we get married here in Masayf...But we said we wanted sons." 

"Sef!"

"And again, I jest...We did agreed on two girls." Sef laughed with his hands up again as you smiled and laughed into your hands before the young man pointed his index finger at you, "See, I knew that'd make you smile after being so worried for me!" 

"I'm your future wife and mother of our two daughters, remember? Of course I'll worry for the wellbeing of the one I love." You replied as you hugged Sef again while he wrapped his arms around you like a lovesick teenager cuddling with his long-time significant other. Kissing your head and stroking your (hair color) hair with his bandaged fingers, Sef smiled down sweetly at you as the (hair texture) tresses that were (hair length) glided effortlessly through his hand before you looked up at your lover. 

Leaning down so you both were laying down on your bed together, you rested your head against Sef's chest as you felt his heart beat against your ear while his muscular chest rose and fell with every breath. Tracing shapes into his skin through the cloth barrier of his tunic, you smiled sweetly as your eyes of (eye color) gazed at Sef lovingly before you whispered in-between the kisses you pressed against your boyfriend's mouth, "I love you."

"I love you too." Sef whispered in-between his own kisses to your lips before you two decided to go to sleep. Resting in each other's arms with Sef's large arms around your entire body and your head against his chest while your arms were around your lover's waist, you and Sef fell asleep with the sound of Assassins learning sword techniques in the courtyard and the birds chirping outside your window while the Sun streamed in like rays of golden spotlights.


	9. Assassin's Creed Modern! College! AU - Darim Ibn La'Ahad & Sef Ibn La'Ahad X Fem! Reader

Darim Ibn La'Ahad:

*Darim was like a perfect combination of his parents, Altaïr and Maria: Strong-willed and stubborn, loyal but quick to action, with a heart of gold underneath his outward attitude of no-nonsense objectivity. 

*This must've been why he chose Psychology as his major! 

*He loved to read books and learn new things, but he also loved the thrill of investigating the true motivations behind a person's actions and uniqueness. 

*He mainly focused on studying social psychology and human development because any factor could influence a person. He even took sociology just for good measure.

*But he didn't meet you in class. 

*Instead, he met you in a lab on-campus that you were both asked to join by two separate professors as lab assistants who would help with collecting survey research from volunteers. 

*Over time, you and Darim became friends inside and outside the laboratory after exchanging numbers and hanging out together.

*By befriending the Syrian-British man, you learned that he was secretly nerdy, even though he never showed it with his current personality.

*Marvel, Star Wars, Once Upon a Time, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Assassin's Creed, you name it! If it's in popular media as a fandom, he knows about it! Also, expect for him to fall in love with male and female characters who are good archers within their respective stories. 

*Like his father, Darim is very artistic as far as writing goes. You should see his fanfictions. They're so well-written and detail-oriented that he could literally publish them for monetary profit if he didn't have to worry about copyright. No wonder he does so well in English class or creative writing activities. You could give him any topic and he could make a poem or short story with it if you gave him ample time. 

*But his real passion is archery.

*Crossbow or classic bow and arrow, Darim has good aim and precision (not to mention abs and muscular biceps as an added bonus). You've seen him at local archery tournaments and man, is he good! 

*You've only heard the rumors that he once got a bullseye three times in the same spot in one round but you didn't think it was possible. Boy, were you wrong! *Le gasp!*

*You've taken some lessons from him after class when you two aren't busy and he's offered to teach you to the best of his ability, but you have difficulty pulling back the string with enough force so that the arrow goes forward instead of down and the string doesn't smack you in the sternum. However, Darin's lessons have paid off, except now you have to worry about aim instead of basic pulling of the bow string. 

*The way Darim asked you out was so medieval and chivalrous, not to mention impulsively dangerous. 

*You and him went shooting at the local archery range and just as you were pulling your arrow out of the target's bullseye (the first bullseye you had made in the four months after your first lesson), you heard an arrow zip past your face as it landed with a thud against the target, right above your head. 

*Reaching up to pull the weaponized projectile out, you noticed a piece of paper rubber-banded to it as you grabbed for the message. After unrolling the scroll made out of a single yellow sticky note, you scanned your eyes across the message as it read, "You've stolen my heart just as my arrow has stolen your breath. Would you like to date me, (Name)? - Darim."

*You never would've pegged Darim for the cheesy romantic type, but everything is not what it seems at first and you should never judge a book by its cover. 

*At once, you walked over to Darim as he was packing up his things so you two could leave. At once, you called out his name as he turned around to face you.

*Looking up at his very tall frame as it towered over you, you handed him back his arrow and kissed him on the lips, wrapping your arms around his neck while running your hands through his dark hair as his baby blues widened in shock since he had never kissed a girl before. 

*Nevertheless, he did kiss you back as he dropped the arrow and wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you in the air as your toes curled up to your hips while you bent your legs upwards so you were completely off the ground. 

*Since dating, Darim has been a good man to you. You could not ask for a more polite man who cares about you and your general wellbeing, your physical and mental health. Darim would literally pull out your chair for you when you're eating together or hold a door open for you because of his upbringing and his natural need to have some manly class and etiquette. Darim was raised to be a gentleman and respect all people no matter their race, gender, or outer appearance, so he lives up to that standard to its highest degree. 

*Since Darim went with his parents and brother to Mongolia for ten days on a family trip years ago, he knows some recipes for cuisine and some meditation techniques. He can cook a mean dish from scratch for you because he loves to cook for you as a way to show off (since his father can't cook, bless his heart), but he'll also be meditating before he studies or takes tests. It seems that those techniques have rubbed off on you since you tried meditating before studying or taking tests and it keeps you more relaxed and focused, meaning you do better. 

*He's also a prominent tea drinker (His English side is showing), and he's always trying new ones that he sees in the grocery stores or making new ones from the recipes he recalls on the top of his head that he learned in Mongolia. Usually, you're the Guinea pig who has to help him try them, which is good if you love hot tea and not so much if you don't like tea. But you're willing to try new things since you don't know until you try. So far, Darim has a good choice in tea flavor (especially when you're up to trying new ones or physically sick) and you've only found a small handful of teas you didn't care for because they were too strong. 

*Whether he's being casual or formal in his style of dress for the day, Darim's hair never fails to be slicked back. But it's the softest thing that ever graces your fingertips because it feels like fluffy fleece blankets, so you don't mind too much. Besides, it's only NOT slicked back after you and him have made out passionately and he doesn't have time to fix it, but that has only happened about a handful of times that you can easily count on your fingers. 

*Darim doesn't call you his "soulmate" or say he loves you EVERY single time you come into the room or say something. He's not a sappy romantic who needs to say he loves you every few milliseconds and he believes actions speak louder than words. But you don't mind because you know he really does love you unconditionally, no matter what. 

*Darim is very muscular, broad, and tall. That is a given. So you can expect him to always reach with ease for things that you try to get with stools and chairs or by climbing on furniture while he teases you. He also uses the "You look so cute when you're mad" comment when you're nagging him about something because you're smaller than him, even if you're taller or more buff than the average girl. But you can also expect to tease him back for being tall by saying "How's the weather up there?" and "Ho! Ho! Ho! Green Giant!"

*He's not a perfect singer and he rarely sings in front of anyone except when he's in he shower and thinks he's alone, but he is fairly decent enough to make you sing along with him. You could listen to it all day long on a mixtape.

*Being older by about two years than his brother Sef (who got along with you just fine), Darim is very good with kids.

*That was very evident by how your young nine-year-old cousin (who was named after your favorite Disney princess by her parents) grew so attached to your new boyfriend. He will literally do ANYTHING for kids, even play along with their pretend games to the point of dressing up in ridiculous costumes with bad accents. 

*It was so cute to see your boyfriend dance around with your cousin as if they were a prince and princess on a ballroom floor before you went out to go get some groceries for dinner. 

*What made you love him even more than you already did was when you came back and saw Darim sleeping on the couch, your cousin laying on his chest with her head buried in his neck. Let's just say you still have the picture on your phone to remember babysitting your cousin, and even after Darim found out, he didn't mind too much because he even admitted that he would love to babysit your cousin again since she was such a good child to be around. 

*Darim has the most profound eyes that you almost think they're colored contact lenses he bought off the Internet. He always assures you that they are naturally bright blue-green but you still suspect otherwise. 

*Darim also has the best, most beautiful smile you've ever seen on a man in your peer group. You always love it when his face lights up and his sharp cheekbones rise up on his face to show off his white teeth. Let's just face it, he has a gorgeous face in general and anyone who doesn't think so can fight you.

*Darim lives for lip and forehead kisses, but he only loves it when he has to bend down to kiss you. He's a naturally tall guy, so he loves it when he has to lean down to your eye level to plant his lips on your skin. 

*And let's not even talk about how much he LOVES to be the big spoon when you cuddle! No matter what, he never fails to be the big spoon. You like it too even though you might never admit to it, so you just go with it and let your knight in shining armor protect you from the cold or nightmares. 

*Constant hand-holder alert! Darim loves to hold your hand a lot. Under tables, walking down the street, during a kiss, sitting down on a couch, anywhere! His hand is always clutching yours gently. He even likes to swing your hand and his back and forth while he holds onto it. 

*He can be a teasing flirt like his mom and competitive like his dad, so expect him trying to kiss you whenever you're playing video games or doing archery together. One time, he started kissing your neck so much with so much passion that you hit him in the back with your Xbox controller to make him stop. It resulted in a love bite on your neck that you had to cover up with a scarf and a playful punch to his bicep.

*Tazim and Sef TOTALLY ship you two together! Sef teases you so relentlessly for dating though that Darim cursed at his brother and chased him around your apartment, which made you laugh your head off. Tazim is more of a low-key shipper but he also teases you through text messages. One time, Altaïr and Maria asked Darim when you and him were gonna get married and have grandkids, which almost made your boyfriend choke on his drink when you were meeting his family at dinner on a Friday night after class. 

*Overall, being with Darim is like falling in love with your best guy friend. You both understand each other and took your relationship slow. He has his independence and you have yours in turn in this dating relationship. You both are also each other's biggest support systems and cheerleaders.

______________________________

Sef Ibn La'Ahad:

*Being mature with a hint of flamboyance, there was no doubt in your mind as to why you befriended Sef so quickly the first time you met him in college. 

*Like his parents Maria and Altaïr, Sef was very dedicated to anything he believed in and never gave up, even when the odds were against him. 

*Naturally, the theatre became his calling because he could play any role he wished and he was very confident in his abilities. He was also good behind the scenes as well with lighting and sound since he also did D.J. jobs at parties, birthdays, or weddings in private outside of school. 

*To be fair, he was very versatile and good. Sometimes, he even convinced you of things that weren't true (especially on April Fool's Day) just as a way to mess with you. His singing voice and dancing were just an added bonus to make him a triple threat in his Fine Arts classes. 

*In all honesty, you and Sef first met at a show he was doing as he played your favorite male character in your favorite Broadway play.   
*Since you told him he did a good job in the show the next day while in the library, you two exchanged numbers and started hanging out. 

*You also attended ALL of his shows and you even gave him flowers afterwards once he took his final bow onstage with his cast and crew members. You could bet money that Sef would blush with his hands on his cheeks as he squealed like a little kid, humble by your kind gesture. Then, he would pluck some flowers from the bouquet and tuck them behind your ears so you looked like "a fairy queen" in his own words. 

*Sef is very passionate like his dad but a teasing flirt like his mom. Therefore, the relationship you have is always playful. Think tickle fights and running chases around the house like a couple of little kids playing on the schoolyard. 

*The way this young Syrian-British man asked you out was very romantic. Gathering the help of his theatre buddies, Sef put his plan into action. The theatre group was doing a production of the romantic comedy, "Almost Maine," and you had also signed up for the theatre group as well because you were only playing a minor part in one of the nine stories within the play and you wanted to try something new. You and Sef were going to star as the tomboyish Rhonda and her best friend Dave in the short story, "Seeing the Thing." You and Sef were running through lines as you were walking through how the scene was going to go until the young man suddenly broke character and kissed you passionately in front of everyone, confessing his love for you once he let you breathe. 

*At first, you were confused because you thought he was still in character and you weren't sure if he meant it. However, his theatre friends reassured you that he was really crushing on you, which made you kiss Sef back as you accepted his proposal to be his girlfriend. 

*Since then, Darim and Tazim started to low-key ship you both. They usually tease you by the text messages or Internet memes they send you both, or they usually say things like "You two sure look busy. We'll just close the door and leave you two alone to make some grandbabies." or "Hey, there's the happy couple walking in here. Now everyone go 'Awww' as soon as they walk in." 

*Heck, Altaïr keeps trying to give his son advice on how to flirt with you and he always gives a thumbs-up to his son whenever he sees you two together and thinks you aren't looking, but you always seem to notice. Maria just shakes her head with a chuckle and hits her husband in the back of the head when he takes his dating advice too far. 

*Maria simply adores you because you're so sweet and always want to help clean or cook around the house, even if you are a guest in her and Altaïr's home. Whenever you're upset or angry and you don't want to tell Sef, you always confide in her after you confide in your family because Maria would fight anyone who hurt you. Once, a prissy teenage girl in a mall for called you 'ditsy' even after you apologized profusely for accidentally bumping into her in Victoria's Secret while trying to buy new bras to show off to Sef. You defended yourself well with words to the point of being civil as you cussed the lady out, but when you left the store and almost looked like you were about to cry, it took you every ounce of strength in your body to drag Maria back when she started rolling up her sleeves to go back in the store and pound the girl into next week. You two laughed it off later on but you knew Maria would always look out for you as if you were her own. 

*You can also expect Rauf, Malik, and Kadar to take a strong liking to you because you're dating Altaïr's youngest son and you're very funny when you're sarcastic. You've also helped Rauf out a little with the kids he looks after and teaches, so he's very grateful for your assistance. They'll also fight to protect you alongside Altaïr should anyone try to harm or belittle you. 

*Sef's dark hair is always messy but it somehow still looks so attractive, even if he just rolled out of bed and combed it down with his fingers in a rush to leave his dorm. 

*His eyes always seem to sparkle, no matter what, which makes you so happy because he always has a baby face that makes him look like a kid in a candy store. 

*If you work out, whenever you do abdominal crunches on the floor, Sef always kisses you whenever you come up and then waits for another kiss as you go back down. *You can also expect him to kiss your cheek from behind after he puts his hands over your eyes so all you see is darkness as you feel around you to figure out who it is before he says in a sing-song voice, "Guess who?" 

*Sef ALWAYS has a secret stash of snacks in his dorm room (because he knows how to eat even if he doesn't gain a lot of weight due to fast metabolism) that only you know about. So you can expect him to buy and keep extra packages of your favorite snacks once he knows what you like. He's also the type to eat plain Nutella or Peanut Butter out of the jar with a spoon. 

*Sef is ALWAYS keen on engaging in new activities since he's a bit of an adrenaline junkie and the more dangerous it could be, the better. You wanna go surfing? He's up for it! Parachuting out of a plane? Sef will go! Go long-boarding or skateboarding? His schedule is free! He's even dragging you along for the ride to do things he's never tried before because he lives each day as if it were his last and he loves the thrill of the present moment! 

*Sef is also good with playing a musical instrument. Your favorite thing to do is sit down beside your boyfriend while you listen to him sing and play acoustic guitar. He even takes requests from "pretty girls like you." 

*Needless to say, after a year or two of dating, you and Sef did take everyone's advice. You both married each other and are attending the university as husband and wife now while living in your own apartment. You two have even talked about having children (you both want girls but you're not sure how many you want) but you both want to wait until after you've graduated. 

*When it comes down to it, your relationship with Sef is very fun and ever-changing, so you'd never get bored with him. He's just so funny and exciting to be around that you always find it a pleasure to be around him. He can be a little cocky like his dad sometimes, but you've learned to deal with it by scolding him and bringing him back down to Earth. If you really love someone, you love them for all their perfections and flaws, and that's how you feel about Sef. You'll just have to wait and see what life has in store for you both as husband and wife, and maybe even parents later on down the road.


	10. Tazim Al Sayf X Fem! Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I do hope that the fans enjoy since Tazim has no screen time but he still sounds interesting as a side character and this was one of my favorites to write tied with the requests for Malik and Altaïr. I will be doing one-shots and modern college AU headcanons along the same premise as these for the members of the Italian Brotherhood and other Brotherhoods from the video game series. Also, here's a visual for the necklace used in the story (http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/262585389736-0-1/s-l1000.jpg).

IMAGINE BEING A FEMALE WHO WAS SAVED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEVANTINE BROTHERHOOD OF ASSASSINS - (One-Shot Series) 

_______________________________

You were an orphan, a female street rat, a common pickpocket who mainly stole coins to buy even a small load of bread for yourself. Many in the various cities of the Kingdom called you "Monkey" in their respective languages of English, Arabic, and Hebrew. That's what you've been known as over the years. But you were definitely NOT greedily selfish as others would like to think. You were a 'good' thief. More often than not, you would steal from high-ranking, corrupt individuals in the Holy Land because it was unfair to you that they unjustly rose to power and made others fight for scraps while they lived in the lap of luxury. Then, you would use the money to buy food or other bare necessities for yourself and others who were worse off than you. No wonder the beggar women in Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem liked you so much! You would try to answer their annoying call for just a little bit of money to help their sick, dying families get some food and medicine to the best of your ability and they appreciated you greatly for it. You felt that actions spoke louder than words and you believed that doing a kind act as promised rather than saying you did the kind act to gain favor only to break promises to those you were meant to help in reality was the best course of action. You were a loyal caretaker to your fellow humans and you always kept your word. So long as you had your honest word, it didn't matter if you had barely enough food and clothes for yourself. You'd rather be a penniless petty thief with a kind heart than a greedy rich girl who was snobby and thought others as degenerates who didn't deserve to live.

But one day, you found a way to get a good pay day as you decided to pick-pocket in the marketplace of Jerusalem, your favorite hunting grounds as well as your childhood home. So now, here you were, laying on your stomach on the roof and munching away on an apple you stole from an unsuspecting vendor carrying boxes of fruit. And that's when a handsome young man caught your (eye color) eye. Focusing in on his current whereabouts and physique, you had to admit that he seemed very handsome and muscular underneath all those ensemble pieces of long ivory robes, gray trousers, and brown leather boots with a red waist sash. So, throwing the apple core away from you while you still had a crunchy taste in your mouth from the sweet fruit, you wiped your mouth with your sleeve before you climbed down the building, still keeping your eyes on the man. Walking behind the young man slowly, you trailed him down the cobblestone path as you saw his many leather waist pouches while you thought to yourself, 'JACKPOT! I guess I'm getting a lot of money today to buy food and new clothes for a few years. Thank you for looking out for me, Heaven above!'

This fact of possibly more than tens of thousands of coins in those pouches compelled you to power-walk faster behind the man until he stopped to get a drink of water from a nearby public spring. At once, you took this opportunity to chance it as your hand was in range. You just needed one pouch in order to get closer to your survival. Taking a deep breath to begin your best-perfected skill, you reached for one of the pouches while the man was bent over the fountain to splash the cold liquid onto his hot face with his hood still up after taking a big gulp of water in his cupped hands. At once, you swiped the leather storage item from the cobblestone barricade that it was resting upon as you took off running in the opposite direction. However, you did hear the man notice that you had stolen from him as he desperately looked for the pouch by spinning in circles with a gasp leaving his lips before he saw you sprinting away. With a shout of 'Hey, give that back, you dirty thief,' the man sprinted after you as you took the roof to find a way to escape.

What you didn't count on was this man to be so fast and to chase you for so far. Gosh, he just wouldn't let up! Didn't he ever run out of energy?! You weren't sure of an answer to these questions because this had NEVER happened to you before. Mainly, your normal victims were slow, fat, old, or unable to free-run and climb buildings because it meant a quick and effortless escape for you. However, you just HAD to take a risk and pick-pocket a young man who appeared to sound and look your age for the first time just to see if you could handle it! Now, you felt really stupid like a flipping idiot who had lost their head because you were NOT expecting this to happen. You didn't really have much time to think about what just transpired as the young man started to gain on you with haste in his sprinting while you hopped from rooftop to rooftop with guards shouting at you to get off or they'd shoot you both. Your lungs were burning unpleasantly as oxygen was getting scarce in amount in your body from all your panting and sweating. All of your limbs were so spent that you just wanted to drop the pouch and climb into a hay bale or rooftop garden to recuperate. Knocking over structures such as stacks of crates in front of the man also didn't seem to slow him down any while he jumped over the fallen objects and continued to gain on you, trying to get the item in the pouch back as if it held some other value to him for a special reason other than monetary gain. However, you weren't one to give up so easily because you lived for confrontation when your honor or your abilities were judged, so you took this moment as a challenge. Your goal was to evade this young man and get away with the heavy pouch of coins, and that's just what you were going to do.

At this point, you didn't really know where you were heading to and you really didn't care. You just wanted to get away from this young man in any way you could since you couldn't seem to slow him down. Blindly preforming parkour across the rooftops with the young man hot on your heels, you tried to turn around sharp corners to slow down the young man again to no avail until you heard him get closer and closer before he shouted, "Just give the item back and I'll stop chasing you!"

"Never!" You shouted back as your face was still concealed with a hood before you continued to run into the sunset. However, you were startled a little as you saw the young man jumping behind you as he tackled you off the roof and down to the ground. Falling like two eagles with their talons locked in an aerial dance of love, you and the young man finally landed in a wagon of golden hay, the weapon-clad male straddling you with his thighs on either side of your waist as he took back the item and secured it to his waist pouch while he still restrained you with his body weight pressing down on you. In the meanwhile, you were flat on your back, both hands stretched into fists by your face as straw scratched your cheeks. At the same time, the man's ivory hood and your dark one fell back to reveal your true faces before the male gasped aloud while you huffed to catch your stolen breath.

In all his life, the young man had seen many women in the various cities of the Kingdom that included his own sisters and mother. He had read his father's many books in the various wooden shelves of the 'library' they kept in the home as he even read some of his father's memoirs even though the man was still living. The young man had imagined many a pretty damsel in distress to save the life of so he could be a real hero like his father and many uncles. He wanted to be a good husband and protector to a woman he called his own just as his own father did for his mother. But he had never seen a woman so beautiful before until he met you. You were absolutely irresistible with (eye color) orbs that sparkled like twinkling stars in the night skies overhead or like diamonds on a marketplace merchant's most-expensive jewelry. And although your tresses were concealed by your hood, its texture was so pin-straight that it was almost unbelievable to see since most people around these areas had wavy or curly hair and its length was down to your shoulders in a rich hue of (hair color). However, even though it first appeared to be paper-thin, your hair was actually very decent in thickness. In the meanwhile, your complexion was very soft to the touch and a little pale with hints of rosy pink in your cheeks and slight tanned areas on your legs and hands to create a beautiful canvas for your heart-shaped face, long ebony lashes, small, delicate nose, and pink lips. Not to mention that you were pretty quick yourself at free-running despite being a little low in height with some thickness and muscle on your legs and arms as well some prevalence of busty cleavage. Even with all the layers of garments you wore to conceal yourself from the blistering heat of the Holy Land and lecherous eyes full of lust and a need to undress you mentally, he could see all of that from you. But what drew the young man to you the most was not so much your physique or face (even though he still thought it to be beautiful) but actually your eyes because they were concealed by your eyelashes and they held lots of non-verbal emotion in them that it painted a complete picture of what you were thinking. He was also drawn by the fact that you were exotic and rare because you looked to be a native from a Crusader and yet not so.

At once, the young man found himself unable to blink his chocolate eyes or even get one syllable out of his mouth. His throat was so dry that it felt like sandpaper whenever he tried to swallow his own saliva and his tanned lips were so chapped and cracked that they desperately craved the healing moisture of cool water again after all his panting from running after you. However, the only thing he could manage to say was a question as he stuttered, "You...You're a young woman?"

"Yes...And a petty thief." You panted with your lips parted almost seductively as you have a playful smirk before you reached your dominant hand up. You didn't really know what you were trying to do, but you were aware of the fact that you didn't hope to find anything else in the haystack aside from hay, hay, and more hay. Finding nothing in the haystack, you did manage to get the upper hand of the tense situation as you thrust your knees upward with all the might your tiny body could handle. Knocking the man away from you so that he was thrown from the wagon like a rag doll, his body was laid flat on his back as he was crumpled with his legs drawn up so his feet were flat against the ground and his knees were in the air. Then, crouching on the edge of the cart like a bird on a perch, you bent your knees and had your hands touching your booted toes before you found the nearest escape route while your formidable opponent was down. Abandoning the hard-earned treasure to find an easier target who would give up quickly, you climbed the windows leading to the top of the roof as you stared at the young man while he rose to his feet. Upon seeing you on the roof making your escape, the young man clutched his sore side before he screamed to you from below, "You can run and hide, she-thief, but mark my words! Our paths will cross again and when they do, I'll find you and make you pay for trying to steal from the wrong man! I will always find you, no matter where you go!" Turning your back to the young man, you only turned your head slightly so it rested on your shoulder while you gave a small laugh with an even greater white smile so both of your cheeks were out ear-to-ear. Then, you turned away from the man as you found yourself sprinting off into the distance to recuperate in your secret and most-favorite hiding spot in Jerusalem after failing to steal what would've been your biggest pay day.

Once you were back in your 'home' in a rooftop garden, you messed around with the few little trinkets you had in your possession such as your father's ornate dagger and matching sheath or your mother's plain iron chain that you now wore around your neck. Picking at the items tenderly with your slender fingers, you pushed your hood off your head and brushed your fingers through your slight rat's nest of hair to remove it of sweat and grime the best you could. Your entire body had not seen a warm bath or a comfortable bed in a long while and it was taking a massive toll on you since small splashes of water from a public fountain every once in a while and sleeping on wood weren't going to cut it anymore. However, you had adapted well to this new lifestyle since your parentless status and done without for a long while too, so you didn't mind too much. Although, it would be a pleasant change to finally stop stealing scraps of meals and even extra changes of clothes from other people so you could at least try to be a decent human being in your opinion. However, for the moment, you would resort to thievery as your only means of survival until you were either caught by guards or managed to miraculously get off the streets.

Sitting down on the wood that would soon be your bed in a little while, you managed to grab an orange in your stolen pile of fresh fruit for the day to eat as you started using the dagger you ALWAYS kept on your person to peel its tough skin. After managing to get the skin off, you used the dagger to slice the fruit while you used the blade as a sort of fork to shovel the fleshy tart food into your mouth. Careful not to cut your fingers with the knife again, as evidenced by the faded scars upon your dominant hand from years of practice, you stared at the wide canvas of scenery from the cloth curtain above the wooden structure that you swept to the side while you watched people walk and talk in the streets. Their hustle and bustle was like sweet music to your perceptive ears since you were so used to watching them from above as you finished the last bite of orange and threw the peelings to the side of the rooftop garden. Then, getting yourself comfortable in your makeshift bed, you put both hands behind your head as you closed the curtain and gazed at the ceiling of the wooden hiding spot before you found yourself nodding off to sleep. Thinking back on what happened earlier that day with the handsome young man, you found yourself thinking about how you failed as you mentally beat yourself up about it. However, you decided to try and forget the whole encounter so you could maybe succeed another day as you closed your eyes. Breathing softly with your chest rising and falling with every motion you did to relax, you felt yourself go further into slumber as you yawned while your vision went black.

It seemed as if you had never encountered the young man because as soon as he came, he was gone. Honestly, you thought he had left Jerusalem for good and was never coming back since he didn't appear for many days and nights in the city. This was good for you as a whole because then, you didn't even have to recall your memories of him nor did you have to relive your failure at retrieving his money pouch on the first go-around. However, you always had the weird feeling in your gut that you were being watched even though you didn't see anyone following you or trying to learn your whereabouts. But sometimes, you thought you saw something white and red jump from rooftops whenever you went as if they were trying to play guardian angel to you, but you just thought it was nothing more than a flock of birds perched on rooftop. Sometimes, you even thought the 'mysterious red and white thing' knew where your daily schedules and where you lived, but since you didn't see a person nearby, you just thought your mind was playing tricks on you from the heat or nutrition deprivation. Therefore, you didn't really question your gut instincts anymore even though they never steered you wrong and you felt that something odd was occurring.

So, a while after meeting the mysterious man in white and red garb, you went back to your old habits since they had become almost like an entire hexis over the years despite it not being the best way to get food and clothes. However, fear never held you back as you managed to pick-pocket a few coins from some corrupt, 'fancy-pants' merchants and nobleman that passed by your favorite street corner, with you leaning against the wall with your arms crossed in front of your chest before you went in for the prize. Afterwards, you had enough money to buy a few loaves of bread along with some fresh fruit...well, most of the food was bought 'honestly.' The rest, you swiped when people weren't looking. Stuffing and cramming all the food into your leather satchel, you decided to refill your water pouch as you placed it in the fountain nearby before you washed your face, hair, and hands with the water. Then, you took the pouch and poured some of its contents on your reddened face as a sort of shower before refilling it again. After you were finished, you decided to hand some money over to the various beggar women as they were harassing passersby before they thanked you profusely while hugging you. Funny, it reminded you of your mother's own hugs from when you were a child until she died of disease, which caused your father to die of grief after her passing and leave you all alone when you were sixteen. However, disregarding your memories for a moment to avoid reopening old wounds by taking a deep breath, you kept this kind act up with 'You're welcome' and 'Please take care of yourselves out here' escaping your genuine smiles every time until you only had a handful of coins to keep to yourself. That was all in a day's work in your daily life!

However, for the first time in your whole occupation, you DID manage to get caught while pick-pocketing a thug so you could have some weapons just in case a situation went wrong later on down the line. At once, a rooftop archer spotted you as he shouted at the top of his lungs and pointed at you with his index finger, "THERE! Filthy she-thief!" Giving a small frown and soft huff at being caught as you cursed like a sailor under your breath, you threw your recently-acquired knife up at the archer as he clutched his heart and staggered backward a few steps. Then, his limp body leaned forward and plummeted down to the ground with a bone-shattering crash on the cobblestones, causing people to run and scream while calling for more guards and claiming you were a serial killer of sorts. At once, you cursed under your breath again before you heard a whole herd of armed soldiers sprinting towards you, shouting in turns, "COME BACK HERE! I WILL END YOU! DIE, THIEF!"

Taking a marathon runner's sprint down the cobblestones, you ran as fast as your legs would carry you as your throat dried with every huff and your lungs started to burn. Your limbs felt like noodles as your feet slammed against the pavement with a bone-shattering crash while you shoved your way through the crowds and shouted, "Move! Move! Out of the way!" At once, women gasped and men shouted for you to watch where you were going before the guards were hot on your heels. Despite their speed, you were faster as you managed to lose them during the chasing pursuit as you whipped around a corner and tried to search for a hiding spot. But all the while, you heard footsteps on the rooftops as you noticed a flash of red and white almost in pursuit of you. However, you didn't have time to question your sanity at seeing things that may or may not have been there because you needed an escape route and fast! Finally finding a set of stairs leading to a plaza, you slid down the stone structure with your hand behind you to anchor you on your descent before you ran around and searched for another hiding spot. You were literally desperate and you needed to think fast or else your execution date would be here sooner than you could blink! Just as you started to panic and lose hope, your (eye color) eyes fixated on a dark alleyway nearby as you took your chance to get inside while people asked where you were going and why you were running so fast. Once inside the alleyway, you pressed yourself as close to the wall as humanly possible, with your clothed back hugging stone, before you inched around the sides as quickly as you could to avoid detection. At once, you heard the persistent guards getting closer as you started to panic, sweat dripping down your brow and your heart pounding roughly in your chest like a drum as a choir of metal rang out while being unsheathed from scabbards. This was it! You were done for! This was going to be the death of you! Goodbye, cruel world!

However, you soon felt things couldn't get any worse until you heard someone jump from the rooftop and land behind you. But just as you reached for your dagger to defend yourself, you sensed someone behind you from the sudden addition of body heat to your already sweaty physique. Attempting to press the knife into the bicep of your attacker, you were suddenly restrained in a bear hug with a hand pressed firmly to your mouth. You tried to scream or bite the hand of the man, however, his hand was guarded by fingerless leather gauntlets and his grip was tight against your pink lips, so you were practically defenseless. At the same time, the man tried to sooth you as he begged in a whisper by your ear, "Please, don't scream, or you'll lead the guards here to your hiding spot."

You didn't know why, but the male voice who just spoke seemed so familiar even though you didn't really know why. But just as you were trying to ponder where this man had come from and why he was helping you, the guards footsteps were approaching as your heart pounded in your chest before the male voice urged, "This way, before they catch us." Not having much of a choice since you were restrained by a strange man, you nodded quickly in his arms and followed his every command as he walked you backwards before he pulled you into a cart of hay. Laying down under him after falling backwards, the young man told you to keep quiet and stay low as he kept his hand to your mouth and pressed his other hand on your clavicles to keep you down. Looking out of a hole that could be made out in the hay, the young man noticed the guards looking for you as they asked where you had gone with puzzled expressions before they finally gave up their search and put their weapons away.

As soon as the coast was clear, the young man told you so as he helped you get out of the hay cart before he dragged you into another alleyway by clutching your hand tightly in his own palm. You didn't know what he wanted or why he was helping you, but you recognized him as the young man you unsuccessfully tried to steal from almost a month ago. In annoyance, you rolled your eyes in annoyance while you smirked with a bitter chuckle at what just happened. In your head, you couldn't believe it as your mind spoke inwardly, 'Oh, great! You have got to be kidding me! Not this man again!' Once you and the young man were in the alleyway together, he looked around for anyone who might try to listen to your private conversation before he looked at you. However, before he could even get a word in, you socked the man in the nose as you clutched your red, battered knuckles in your free hand while the male cupped both hands around the stinging piece of flesh and bone. No blood had resulted in drips or lines even though you punched him really hard, but the man was still in a lot of pain as he groaned out with his mouth wide enough to see his wincing teeth. Once he made sure he was okay, he began to speak to you as he asked, "Do I finally get to speak or are you going to try to punch me again?" Giving a small nod, you hummed a 'Mmm-hmm' under your breath while still clutching your sore knuckles before the young man breathed out to calm the stinging of his nose. Then, the young man stared down at your satchel and without even having a clear idea of what was in it, he looked at you suspiciously with raised ebony eyebrows while pointing to you, "So, petty thief, huh? I almost didn't want to believe you when you told me last we met, but now that I see it, I do."

"I have no parents because they died of disease and grief. You do things your way to survive and I do things mine. I don't need you to judge me." You retorted with every bit of honesty and no nonsense in a bothered hiss while the young man held both of his hands up in surrender to admit, "No judgement towards you will come from me because I understand. Living on the run is never easy."

"I don't live on the run; I just mainly pick-pocket small things." You shrugged your shoulders lightly before the man snatched your leather bag to see what contents you had inside it as you protested with a shout of, "Hey, give me that back! It's mine!"

"Oh, you mean the food, clothes, and coin you stole to stay alive? And don't try to deny it; I've watched you do it for a while." The young man answered as he searched your things before you gasped while snatching your bag back with widened eyes and raised eyebrows, "YOU...YOU'VE BEEN THE ONE WHO WAS FOLLOWING ME!?"

"Yes, me...Those flashes of red and white you thought you saw during your pick-pocketing or near your personal rooftop garden, all me. And from what I've seen, you evading the guards after almost every one of your escapades leads me to believe that you DO indeed live on the run." The young man replied with his arms crossed over his seemingly-muscular chest while you did the same but with your hands on your wide hips instead of crossed in front of your obvious bosom before you gave a snarky response, "Well, aren't you so perceptive and creepy, O' Wise Scholar and Stalker?"

"I have a name, you know. And I'm not a stalker; I just didn't know how to approach you properly without attracting much attention." The young man replied as he smirked and chuckled at your persistent sassiness within his current position before you snapped back, "Don't care. Those titles suit you just as well."

"Well, if you do find it in your heart to miraculously care, it's Malik when I'm in public...But my real name is Tazim Al-Sayf." Tazim answered with a playful smirk before you sighed deeply with your own fake smile and a wave of your hand as if you were gesturing an item for auction in the marketplace, "Well, I don't...But if you're so inclined to give an introduction, the name's (Name). Take it or leave it."

"Fine, I will take it...As I told you before, I'd find you no matter where you hid or ran for stealing from me! Seems Fate has a weird way of bringing people back to each other full circle." Tazim nodded with a small smile directed towards you before you demanded for an actual explanation, not really wanting to dawdle for too long, "What the heck do you want with me?"

"Alright, I realize I've angered you and you have every right to be cross with me."

"Darn right, you have and darn right, I am!"

"So let's not beat around the bush anymore because I don't have much time to dawdle here anyways. In truth, I need your help." Tazim admitted as you sarcastically retorted, "Sorry, what a shame. I'm not your she-thief."

You tried to walk away, but Tazim stopped you as he grabbed your wrist and pleaded, "Wait, please! Just hear me out."

"Why should I, when you've been stalking me?! I don't know why I shouldn't just kill you right now." You replied as you secured your satchel to your person and snapped your wrist out of Tazim's death grip. And without thinking a lot about your need for impulse control, you pulled out your dagger and defended yourself with a verbal threat, "Here's what's going to happen, I'm going to walk out of here with my satchel and you're going to stop stalking me. You're just going to leave me the heck alone. And if you think you're going to come a step closer, I've got news for you. I'll end you." However, Tazim challenged you as he walked in front of you so your knife was inches away from cutting against his tanned Adam's apple before he threatened back in all seriousness with so much as a blink or sniffle, "You're not going to hurt me."

"What makes you think I won't?" You threatened as you pressed the knife closer before Tazim kept coming closer so you were eventually backed into a corner of the wall with no way out. Then, the tall, dark, and handsome man bent close to your face so you both were eye level as he smirked almost seductively with a hint of playfulness, "Because you're intrigued by me."

"You're out of your mind."

"And you're curious to know my job offer. Besides, I saved your life even though you thanked me by punching me in the face."

"So?"

"So...you owe me one. That's how you'll earn my forgiveness." Tazim admitted with a small nod before you pressed the knife closer and hissed, "You stalked ME!!!"

"Like I told you, I didn't know how to ask you for your help without making you run away. After all, I've seen what you can do and your motivations...You don't like corrupt leaders and bullies, so you steal for others aside from yourself. Sometimes you give more to others than you give yourself." Tazim admitted as if he were quoting verbatim about your exploits from a book before you questioned in apparent annoyance, "And?"

"And you're the best at what you do...I mean, that's why they call you "Monkey," isn't it? You're a good climber and escape artist similar to the animal, but you also swipe things quickly by acting like an innocent civilian." Tazim complimented you before you nodded while biting the inside of your bottom lip, "Well, when you put it that way, you are right...I guess you have good taste in she-thieves." Sheathing your dagger again, you decided to give the young man a chance as you demanded, "I'm listening."

"Thank you...Now, I need you to pick-pocket someone for me, a man who wears the same uniform as I do." Tazim began to reveal his true intentions for stalking and helping you before you asked questions of your own to clarify any misunderstandings, "So, you work for someone?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Looking around again to make sure no one was listening again, Tazim looked into your eyes with his darker ones as he seemed hesitant to tell you the truth out of fear of retaliation, as far as you were able to perceive. However, he was still bound by his word to explain himself but only if you had his complete trust, "If I tell you, do you promise not to run or tell anyone else?"

"And who would I tell? The rooftop birds? Besides, you know where I live and steal. I can't run or hide anywhere without you stalking me again." You shrugged before you nodded, "Go ahead. You may continue." With a small nod after seeing your honesty despite the small snarky joke you gave with a bitter smile, Tazim did feel comfortable with divulging sensitive information to you as he took a deep breath and admitted, "I'm an Assassin of the Levantine Brotherhood." At once, your eyes widened in shock at what you just heard while your chapped lips together pursed tightly and your eyebrows rose. Almost immediately, Tazim started to fear that he had broken the third tenet of the Creed that said "Don't compromise the Brotherhood" after telling you what he was. However, you were more relieved than shocked as you relaxed and shrugged with a gentle smile, "Hmm...No wonder you're so talented at free-running and climbing like me. Kinda suspected it from the uniform because I've seen your kind and the Templar scum before in the city. But I didn't really want to believe it until you told me."

"So you trust me on my word?"

"I guess. A man who lives by his word and kills corrupt leaders definitely has my trust..." You answered with a small shrug before admitting with your first genuine smile towards Tazim, "Look, I may be a thief, but all I have left is my kindness and my word, and I'd rather have that than riches. A person is nothing without their honor and once that's tarnished, it's very hard to get it back."

"Funny, that's what my father and many uncles always told me, and I intend to live by that standard..." Tazim revealed with his own gentle grin towards you before you shrugged playfully, "Alright, I guess you got my attention now...So, who's the target I steal from and what am I getting for you exactly?"

"Really, you'll help me and my Creed?" Tazim asked like a child who wasn't expecting their parent to give into their small negotiations before you pointed your index finger at his lips as you used the slender flesh as a method of shutting the man up while you shook your head, "Not help yet...I just want to see what I'm walking into so I can still decide for myself what I want to do."

"Of course. If you say yes, the Creed could find some way to pay you handsomely for your endeavors. After all, you're helping the greater good by helping me."

"And if I refuse?" You asked with your arms now crossed over your chest before Tazim said matter-of-factly, "Then I'll let you go and find someone else to help me. I won't stalk you. I won't follow you...I'll find another pick-pocket who can help me."

"One quick question: Why do you need someone else to do your dirty work? Why can't you just do it yourself?" You asked to make sure you understood the entire situation before Tazim admitted, "Well, years before you and I were ever born, there was a Grandmaster for the Creed named Al Mualim, but he betrayed us and started working for the Templars. He took a magical artifact called the Apple of Eden for himself and planned to use it to enslave humanity with himself as king...Some sided with my father's best friend, Altaïr, because they couldn't forgive Al Mualim for the betrayal. But..."

"But?" You questioned in a challenging tone towards Tazim so that you could test his honesty again before he revealed the rest of the background history to you, "Others sided with Altaïr's rival, Abbas, and believed Altaïr just killed the master so he could be the new Grandmaster...So, a coup was enacted a while back and Abbas tried to take over as Grandmaster. He ran our Creed into the ground and began to destroy us from the inside. He's broken all three Tenets of our group without any regard of his honor because he has none despite what he claims. He has killed innocents with his blade, he has not hidden in the crowd, and he has compromised our Brotherhood."

"So, those are your three rules?" You asked in earnest as Tazim nodded so he could explain, "Yes. We believe in three basic Tenets that all Assassins must abide by...They are as follows: Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent, hide in plain sight, and don't compromise the Creed."

"Who did he try to kill?"

"Many people on Altaïr's side until there would be none of us left...Some of those targets included Altaïr's youngest son Sef and his wife and daughters, my uncles Rauf and Kadar, and my own father, Malik. Abbas even tried to kill Altaïr, his eldest son Darim, his wife Maria, and my mother and sisters."

"Did this Abbas succeed in his persecution?" You demanded an answer while you formed your racing thoughts into a coherent question, frightened by what you were starting to get yourself into but also the fact that Tazim nearly became an orphan like you, before the young man declared, "Killing his targets, no...But taking over as Grandmaster while Altaïr was stopping the Mongols from invading the Holy Land alongside Maria and Darim, yes."

"Did your family manage to escape?"

"Yes, and they live in exile now alongside Rauf and Altaïr's family."

"But why are you still an Assassin?"

"Because it was the life I was born into and the life I wanted to lead since I was a child because my father still lives honorably as one...So, with my family and friends' consent, I decided to go to Masayf as a double agent so I could find out Abbas's plans and help Altaïr take back the Creed. Abbas doesn't even know I'm Malik's son, so it's the perfect cover. He just thinks I'm an orphan who wanted to be recruited."

"That is a clever plan, playing for both sides when you really only believe in the ideology of one while tricking the other."

"Thank you..." Tazim nodded politely as you have a simple "You're welcome" with a small smile in reaction to the handsome Assassin's own grin. Then, Tazim looked to you again in urgency before he explained, "Now you understand why I can't do this mission alone. That's why I need the help of a pick-pocket."

"But who am I stealing from and what am I trying to get?"

"A scroll of parchment containing parts of Abbas's plans in written form, which is in the hands of one of the coup members...I need to take it to my father since he's Altaïr's second-in-command."

"Altaïr?...You mean Ibn La'Ahad?...The famous Master Assassin named 'The Eagle of Masayf,' the same man who assassinated the regent Majd Addin and the slave trader Talal?" You urged for answers as your recollection latched onto the name and the occupation while Tazim looked at you with raised eyebrows of black while he nodded slightly with a tone that suggested that he was surprised that you knew so much of the quests of the Assassins and Templars, "Yes...And my father was Malik Al-Sayf, the Dai and Rafiq of Jerusalem who assisted him. But how did you-"

"Small city; word spreads quickly." You grinned with a sideways tilt of your head as if to nod in affirmation of your honesty before Tazim nodded in awe at you, "Wow, I really did choose wisely. You ARE really skilled at what you do."

"Thank you." You responded with a civil nod as Tazim nodded back, "You're welcome." Then, you sighed deeply while you stretched both of your arms above your head as if you were performing yoga before you placed both of your connected fingers behind your head as if you were about ready to recline in a chair. Then, with another exhale of oxygen escaping the 'O' you made with your pink lips, you looked to Tazim with (eye color) orbs shaded by long, ebony lashes so they appeared narrow before you shrugged, "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch." Tazim looked shocked as he tried to protest before you shook your head, "That's a load of bull. There's always a catch."

"Perceptive." Tazim commented as he nodded slowly before he nodded, "Okay, I will be your partner on this mission since you're just pick-pocketing the man. But I'll be there to act like I'm on their side so you can come in with me. I can also offer back-up if things go wrong." Then, with a soft nod while you chewed on your bottom lip, you released your hands from your head before you shrugged, "Well, screw my logic...I want in."

"Really?! You want to help?" Tazim asked in shock that you would want to even consider helping him. He had stalked you to where you pick-pocketed and where you lived for a while, and he practically kidnapped you into helping him pick-pocket from one of his traitor Brothers. So it was really a miracle to see you agree to his polite requests even after ALL THAT as he looked like he was about to faint from surprise. You only pacified him further with a genuine smile of pure innocence and kindness as you nodded, "Of course...I still have a choice in this and I believe every word you said...No one helped me when I was in need, but rather than yellow-belly and give up, I think I could maybe help others. Anyways, it's just one job you're paying me for and then I can return to my old life. So, let's not delay anymore and let's get it over with."

"Alright, as you wish, (Name). This way, please." Tazim asked of you as he led you through the alley ways so you could find a ladder to get to the roof. Once above the crowds, you and Tazim ran from rooftop to rooftop in haste as you followed after the young man using your parkour free-running skills. Slipping past the rooftop archers without so much as a warning to get down, Tazim led you to a public bathhouse where some women were inside laughing, talking, and washing themselves behind the closed doors as you asked, "What're we doing here at a bathhouse? Aren't we supposed to be pick-pocketing one of your Creed's betrayers?"

"We will, but you need a disguise." Tazim assured you as he admitted some of his plan before you looked at him with raised eyebrows as you gestured to your clothes body, "Why? What's wrong with how I look now?"

"Nothing, you look fine. But many of the betrayers lust after beautiful women, so they wouldn't suspect you of being a pick-pocket if you looked like a courtesan." Tazim explained the rest of his plan before he pointed to the small opening in the door that was only a small sliver of window so you could see a few images within the bathhouse, "You see those women in there, they know me and they know about you from what I've told them. They're my sisters and mother, but Altaïr's wife, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters are also among them."

"What're they doing here?" You whispered as Tazim explained in his own whisper, "They learned of my secret plan from my friends Darim and Sef because the youngest son of Altaïr can't keep his mouth shut sometimes for his own good...So they're here to help me in my plan to get the scroll, even though they're supposed to stay in hiding in our special hideout. But for now, they've chosen willingly to offer back-up if needed, even if many of them aren't too skilled in combat or free-running aside from Maria. So they've decided to help in other discreet ways."

"How?"

"They've secured a courtesan garment for you and they'll help you prepare for your mission inside." Knocking on the door with his fist, it seemed as though Tazim had a special rhythm behind the simple gesture as the lock to the door clicked before an older woman with white hair and garments in hues of blue-green and red came out. At once, she greeted Tazim with one kiss to both of his cheeks as he did the same to her before he introduced you to the middle-aged dame, "(Name), this is Altaïr's wife, Maria."

"It's so nice to finally meet the she-thief Tazim spoke so highly of. Please come inside, dear." Maria suggested as she gently took your callused hand and led you inside the bathhouse before you asked in confusion, "So you were expecting me?"

"Oh, no, dear. But we hoped you would accept our request for help and it seems you have, so welcome to the group. It's an honor to have you here."

"No, the honor is all mine, helping the Assassins and all." You replied kindly with a smile before Maria gave her own reply to match a mirrored smile that resembled yours, "You're welcome to clean yourself up here since we have this room in the bathhouse to ourselves for the next two hours. I also have my old courtesan disguise from years ago when I helped my husband on a mission, but you may borrow it for your own mission."

"Thank you, Maria." You nodded as you savored the warm steam in your face as it rose slowly out of the water and the sweet aromas of bath salts and soap permeating your nostrils before Maria turned to her best friend's son with a small demand, "Tazim, could you please give us a moment alone?"

"Of course, Aunt Maria. I understand ladies like their privacy...I'll be guarding us outside if you need me..." Tazim told the older female before he turned to you, "(Name), when you're done, meet me outside the door we just came through earlier. Then we'll begin the mission."

"Okay, sure." You nodded back with a small grin while Tazim did the same before he shut the door behind him and one of his sisters locked it back. Then, you began to strip down to your birthday suit as Tazim's mother took your old clothes so that she could wash them for you and return them once you were finished with your mission, which you gave her permission to do. Then, one of Tazim's sisters offered to hold your mother's plain chain for you so it wouldn't get wet and rust since it was made of iron, which made you hesitate since it was the last reminder you had of her. However, seeing that these women could be trusted, you handed over the silvery chain without a trinket to spare as you thanked the women for their help before they told you that they were glad to offer assistance.

Submerging one foot in the steaming water, you nearly had to hold back a pleasure-induced moan at how good it felt as you let the warmth caress your sweaty, dirty toes and soles. Then, you decided to let your body sink further into the bath as you descended the stairs leading into the water before you were waist deep. Savoring the clean feeling of water on your bare person, you closed your eyes and moaned again before you finally went out further into the man-made structure. Once you were neck deep in the gargantuan public bath, you waited a few moments so your body could get used to the caress of tidy warmth before you dunked yourself under the water by falling backwards with your hands over your large bosom as if you were being baptized. Rising up from the water again, your eyes and lips were sealed shut while warm liquid dripped from your greasy, tangled scalp and reddened face before you gave a deep breath with open eyes. Then, you cupped more water into your hands as you splashed the warmth against your face and scrubbed with all your might.

At once, you heard Altaïr's granddaughters beckoning for you to come to them as they waved their hands before you swam over to them with a complacent nod. Once you were sitting on the stairs with your hands behind your body to anchor you up so your noodle limbs wouldn't give out from relaxation, the girls hiked up their dress skirts and sleeves enough to get on their hands and knees in the shallow water on the stairs before one of Tazim's sisters handed some bath salts and soaps to the granddaughters. Thanking their friend for her help, the granddaughters of the Creed's Grandmaster scooped some of the sweet-smelling salts into their fingers before smearing them onto a few sponges as they beckoned you to them, offering to help you wash up your hair and skin. Accepting the offer, you nodded and agreed only if they wouldn't inappropriately touch you and let you wash your 'special lady parts' yourself. As innocent and kind as they were, the girls agreed whole-heartily to your demands with giggles and nods before one of them washed your back while the other handed you a sponge so you could scrub your chest. With tender smells like strong, burning incense filling the bathhouse, you enjoyed the feeling of FINALLY getting a warm bath after going without a proper one in so long aside from splashing yourself with drinking water every once in a while. So as you brought the sponge around you in all directions while it lathered against your dusted skin, you finished washing up all of your private parts before you gave the sponge back to one of the granddaughters to let them finish their work of making you look like a presentable lady. Rubbing the fluffy, yellow sponges across your skin as soapy lather and bubbles leaked out of the many holes, Altaïr's granddaughters made sure your skin was shining like the finest porcelain money could buy so not even a speck of dirt could be seen with the naked eye. They washed your body so good that you could've literally seen the whites of your short nails and the actual pinkish and tanned hue of your complexion while your skin felt really smooth to the touch like the succulent fruit of an orange. Literally, anyone around you could practically see the dust sliding off your physique with every rub of the sponge as it dissipated like gray fog under the lukewarm water that killed it off. It was even good to feel the strong hands of the granddaughters massaging your sore muscles as you practically moaned enough to make them giggle with each other until your limbs felt so much like jelly that you were afraid you wouldn't be able to move again.

Then, while you were still relaxing from the massages with your eyes closed, the granddaughters switched places with some of Tazim's sisters as they had many soaps and oils that smelled absolutely divine to you before you felt one of the young teenagers petting your head. You soon snapped awake and were startled at first by the gesture that was given without your permission and gave a small gasp as you tried to fight it as a natural reflex, thinking you were being attacked somehow even though you never encountered such a situation in your youth. However, you soon relaxed as you felt white suds slide down the side of your face while one of the sisters massaged your scalp with some soap and some leftover bath salts. Then, you felt warm water get dumped on your head from a wooden bucket by the sister who was washing your hair earlier to remove the suds while the other teenager across from you covered your eyes tightly with her hands so you wouldn't feel the sting of salt or fragrance. Making sure that there were no more soapy bubbles and grains of bath salts to irritate your scalp later on by dumping more water on you, the girls were satisfied as they gave a gentle smile to you before one of them massaged one of the oils across your skin until she washed her hands. Then, the other sister massaged another oil into your hair and made sure she got every strand of (hair color) before she too washed her hands to remove the greasy liquid. Then, both sisters ran two wide-toothed combs through your shoulder-length hair to remove any and all tangles so that when they were finished, one could later run their hands through it effortlessly and compliment on its silkiness and beauty. After dumping water on your head again with the wooden bucket and dunking your entire frame under the water to remove all of the oil, you walked out of the pool of bath water with help from the girls so you wouldn't trip down the stairs, feeling smooth with clean skin and hair now.

With some clean towels at your disposal, you dried your dripping wet body off with one large ivory sheet as you took your time to make sure there was not a drop left on you. Finally, you saved your hair for last, shaking every strand back and forth in the black cloth with your strong hands. After you were cleaned, the girls all gathered around you to help you get dressed and to return your personal items to you. Putting your mother's chain back around your neck and securing your father's dagger to a decorative belt, Maria handed you her old courtesan disguise as you thanked her warmly and looked at the gold, red, and green cloth. Once you had the upper garment on, you felt so utterly exposed since it was basically a High Middle Ages version of lingerie, even if no actual skin could be seen aside from your stomach. The shirt was basically an inwardly-padded bustier with a gigantic hood to conceal your face, despite showing off your cleavage VERY well and making it appear as though you had more than you really did. However, the skirted pants weren't too bad since they covered everything important. Besides, you smiled like a little girl because they looked like a fantasy princess's dress as they almost touched the floor and dragged behind you like a veil's train. Plus, the gold and silver arm bangles and the way your now-drying hair fell around your shoulders in soft waves were a nice touch of decoration. All in all, you felt so well-looked after and special in these moments with the women and girls that Tazim was close with because you had never been pampered like this since becoming a petty thief in your early teens. Besides, looking at your reflection in a nearby mirror, you realized that you had never felt so beautiful in your entire life and it almost brought tears of joy to your eyes because you finally felt like yourself again before you became a street rat and orphan. So it was a real blessing from Heaven above that you said yes to Tazim's offer to pick-pocket a betrayer of the Assassins.

After thanking the women for their help, you promised to return and get your other belongings once you were done and you told to stay safe, which they promised you sweetly as they all kissed your cheeks and bid you good luck in your endeavor. They even asked you to come visit them in secret if you so desired so they could all thank you with a warm welcome from EVERYONE in their group of true Assassins, a proper meal, and a comfortable bed for all your kindness and help. You promised you would visit if you knew their hide-out location, provided you didn't get caught by the Jerusalem guards again for more petty theft. Giving a kiss to their cheeks too along with warm hugs that reminded you of your parents and made you want to cry again, you thanked them for their help and pampering before you exited the bathhouse to begin your journey.

Closing the door behind you, your eyes of (eye color) scanned around for Tazim as you thought he had left you before you heard his voice nearby, "(Name), over here." Giving a small smirk, you sauntered over to the young man in your disguise as he turned around once you approached and announced your arrival with an 'ahem' leaving your throat. In the meanwhile, you leaned against the nearest corner of a wall, one hand on your wide hip with the elbow of the other limb propping you up at a sexy angle against the stone, before you asked flirtatiously as if teasing this guy and stringing him along, "Hello, hero...Well, what do you think? Not too shabby, huh?"

Needless to say, Tazim's breath was so stolen away that you breathed out, he breathed in, and he forgot to breath back out. You were already beautiful to him before when you first met and before the pick-pocketing assignment began. But since your transformation, you had blossomed into something even more appealing to the eyes of all who gazed upon you like a desert rose of Bethlehem as you had Tazim under somewhat of a spell. He was literally in a trance of unparalleled belief that couldn't be explained in words as he found himself unable to move an inch or speak a coherent word while his mouth dried to conditions like the Sahara Desert and his chocolate eyes widened to the size of his fists. Honestly, Tazim would've probably tried to kiss you on the lips while smashed into the stone wall with his body pressed against you seductively if he would've had a weaker impulse control and if he would've let his heart speak before his mind. But he was a scholar at heart since birth because of his well-educated father and his mind was full of logic, which spoke louder than his bodily impulses or heart. Was he attracted to you? Most definitely without a shadow of a doubt! But to be fair, he would never force himself upon an unwilling woman unless they gave non-induced permission. He wasn't staring at you like he was a drooling, starving hound and you were a piece of fresh meat, but he was staring a little too long for a business partner going with you on an undercover operation. So, you were a little taken aback by his actions as you asked, "What is it?...Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look like an ugly old hag or something?...This mission isn't going to work because of me, isn't it?"

"No, no, it will work! It will most definitely not fail!" Tazim protested with hands waving back and forth as he noticed your discomfort before you asked, "Then what's the reason for you looking at me like that? You're staring at me as if I have demonic horns on the side of my head."

"That's not why I'm staring."

"Then why are you?"

"Because you're so...so..." Tazim stumbled over his speech as he suddenly went silent to try to find his words so he wouldn't create more confusion for you before you retorted with your voice sounding annoyed and frustrated as it rose on volume while both of your hands went to your hips, "So what?"

"You're so beautiful that you stole my breath away for a moment...You were always beautiful before to me, even when we first met. But now, even more so...You just look so innocent yet strong that I feel so drawn to you." Tazim admitted sheepishly as if he was his shy uncle Kadar talking to a pretty girl for the first time. In the short life of the twenty-two year old son of Malik, he finally had to admit that he thought you to be very beautiful to the eye despite being a twenty-two year old lady who did the sins of theft to survive since she had matured into a pubescent teenager all those years ago. And all the while, you wanted to cry tears of gratitude and shock because no man had ever complimented you in this endearing way, especially not one from your own age group. You had never been thought of as beautiful before by anyone aside from your parents, but they were gone now and never coming back. However, this complete stranger, this young male Assassin in the Levantine Brotherhood, had just said you were beautiful, innocent, and strong with an irresistible quality all in the same breath. Therefore, you were quite flattered by these compliments as you blushed as red as the sash around Tazim's waist before you smiled genuinely with pearly whites, "Well...That's good to know because it makes me more hopeful that this plan will work...But it's also very kind of you to say those honest words because no one has ever said as such to me in a long while...So thank you, Tazim."

"You're most welcome, (Name)." Tazim replied his own blushing cheeks and a white smile against the tanned canvas of his face before he cleared his threat and got serious. Beckoning for you to follow him, Tazim wrapped a long cloth around you to conceal your body from lustful men in the streets during your walk while you hugged it against you as if chilled by a freezing breeze. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary with the two of you, nobody took notice of you or Tazim as you trekked through the streets with your hands clutched together like chain links before he led you to where his target was staying in Jerusalem.

Stopping at a house in the Poor District, Tazim rapped his fist against the wooden door in another secret rhythm of code before a voice asked, "Who goes there? State your business."

"I come with good tidings for the fruits of our labor." Tazim answered back in another secret phrase before the door flew open to reveal a man in the same ivory and scarlet uniform as your friend. Gazing with hungry ebony eyes at you, the man with the short brown tresses and tanned skin looked to Tazim before he asked, "Ah, did you bring us a guest to celebrate with?"

"Yes, she's very talented and beautiful in more ways than one." Tazim answered as he clutched your hand when he sensed your anger and fear at being displayed around like a trophy or a prize to be conquered. He was trying to reassure that nothing bad would happen to you as the other man went further inside the dwelling before Tazim bent his lips close to your ear. Whispering sweetly, he said, "Don't worry, you won't have to bed him. You and I both know that I won't let that happen; that's why you still have your dagger...If something goes wrong, I can help."

"You sure?" You whispered as you stared into Tazim's eyes. Seeing no dishonesty in his gaze, you watched the young man nod before he whispered in your ear again, "I promise...Now, he always keeps the scroll on him in a leather pouch. If you can get him alone and knock him out, you can steal the document and we can leave. It'll be quick and quiet."

"I'll do my best." You answered with a small nod before you went over to the man who beckoned you to him with his outstretched hand and smooches of his fishy-kissy lips as if you were an animal he was teasing from afar. At once, you noticed the man pat a pouch near his rib cage as you looked to Tazim, who nodded his head to the man with a wink of his eye and his hands crossed over his chest while he leaned against the wall. At the same time, you winked back at him with a smile of understanding before trying to appear as sexy to the target as you could. You both knew what you had to do as you began the mission.

Grabbing the target's hand, you leaned close to his ear as you nipped the soft flesh with your teeth before you commanded huskily, "Come on, handsome. Let's have some fun elsewhere...alone..."

"Of course, Miss..." The man stuttered as he laughed like a man who was about to get lucky before you pressed your index finger to his lips with a 'shhh' to pacify him. Then, you batted your pretty little eyes at him as you suggested prettily while creating a fake alias for yourself on the fly, "Please, call me Almera. I would prefer it." Then, leading the man away, you winked again to Tazim as he winked back before you got the target alone in the nearest bedroom.

Once inside, you nipped his ears prettily with your eyes closed as he pressed his lips against your neck with closed eyes and moans leaving his lips. Despite not being particularly skilled at seduction, you were actually doing very well. At the same time, though, your mind told you to focus as you began to undertake the deed. You saw the pouch within easy reach as you opened your eyes and tried to get it without being detected. It seemed easy enough given that the target was too distracted with kissing your soft neck. However, you nearly got caught pick-pocketing from him as he bit down on your neck hard to make you yell a harsh 'ouch' as if you had been burned with hot iron against your flesh. At the same time, he misinterpreted your grabbing around his rib cage as a sign of you trying to do the do right then and there while you both were clothed. Therefore, he wiggled his eyes flirtatiously at you before he chuckled deep in his throat while he suggested, "Oh, I see how it is...You try to be confident because you've never been with a man before...Is that it?"

"Actually, you could say I'm a little inexperienced in the ways of men since it's been so long after the Crusades and their war..." You answered sheepishly while not telling lies but still trying to play your role to a tee as the man chuckled again, "Not to worry, Almera...I'll try to be gentle, but you're so amazing that I can't help wanting to have my way with you."

"You will, in due time." You answered back as you undid the brown belt of throwing knives so it crashed to the floor before you dropped your sheet to play along. Then, you unraveled the red sash that was around the man's waist before you tied it around his eyes like a makeshift blindfold and cooed, "But now, handsome, I'd like my way with you since you're my first...If that's alright with you."

"Of course, as my lady wishes." The man nodded as he couldn't see you due to the cloth around his eyes before he found his way to your neck again. Pressing massaging fingers against it so your shoulders flexed uncomfortably in his grasp even though he interpreted it as you being in pleasure, the man bent down close to your ear as he replied, "I wouldn't ask you to do anything you didn't already know how."

Rolling your eyes in annoyance at how perverted and sex-hungry this male target was, you tried not to break character until he started touching you inappropriately while you tried to grab the pouch from him. After a few hits and misses to get it that ended up in a rough groping of you by his hands, you finally got the scroll and stuffed it into the leather pouch on your decorative belt before you were groped again. By this point, you were really getting agitated by this male target violating you in the worst ways imaginable even though you were playing the part of female courtesan in a spy's game. So, gripping his shoulders and acting like you were giving him a massage, you reared back your dominant leg as far as it would go behind you until you brought it forward. Digging your ball-and-socket joint into the man's family jewels, the man grunted and fell to the ground clutching his crotch before Tazim rushed in and slammed the door open.

At once, he looked to you before he asked in a panicked tone as his volume rose while his expression showed great concern and worry for you, "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"It's fine. I just have a fantasy of being with submissive men." You answered as you tried to play along still for the blind-folded man on the ground who told Tazim to leave so you and him could have fun alone. Without leaving the room, Tazim took a deep breath to calm down as he saw that you were indeed okay. Then, he looked to you by staring into your (eye color) orbs before he mouthed the words, 'Are you alright?' You nodded back quickly while mouthing 'Yeah' before you found a nearby vase on the bedside table and told the man, "Don't worry, handsome. We're going to have some fun." Then, with your arm drawn back towards the ceiling, you smashed the ceramic jar against the head of the male target to knock him out as he limply fell flat on his back with his arms and legs out.

Once you were sure the man was out cold, Tazim looked to you before he suggested as if he was urgent to make a hasty decision, "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed." You answered back with your own nod before you and Tazim exited from the house calmly to avoid suspicion before you both found a nearby ladder and got to the roof. Taking to a place above the heads of the crowds, you and Tazim jumped from roof to roof until you made it back to the bathhouse so Tazim's mother could return your old clothes to you. Going back inside to change quickly, you retrieved your dagger and secured it to your old leather belt before you exited out the door you came in while Tazim asked of you, "Would you like me to take you back home or do you want to stay here?"

"I think I'll be fine back in my familiar dwelling."

"Alright, come on. Let's get you to your hideout." Tazim suggested as you and him took to the roofs again while slipping past the guards and rooftop archers keeping silent vigil by night. Jumping like marathon runners turned ninjas, you and Tazim looked like small flashes of red, white, gray, and brown to the crowds of people down below. With leather boots clicking against the stones and huffing pants from both of you, you and Tazim sprinted across the rooftops until you landed in front of the rooftop garden you called home.

With you both bent over to catch your breath as your hands clutched your knees, you and Tazim waited a few moments before the young man held his hand for you to shake, "(Name), thank you for your help. But I'm sorry we failed... It's just, I heard you scream and thought you were hurt, so I wanted to stop the mission immediately. All I wanted to do was protect you."

"Well, I appreciate the gesture, but he just bit my neck a little too hard when I was playing along. But I'm okay, honest. It'll heal in a few days, so it's no big deal." You replied as you shrugged off the scary encounter with the stranger you had to pretend to sell your body to the target before Tazim protested while shaking his head with solemn eyes, "Still, I should've been there sooner."

"You were there sooner because you ran in after I kicked him where it hurts...So I have you to thank for our quick escape." You replied as you patted Tazim's shoulder to calm him down to prevent him from beating himself up for putting you in potential danger before you found yourself playfully smirking. Then, you looked to Tazim as you called out, "Hey...Hey, Tazim...Who said we failed?" Giving you a confused expression, Tazim tilted his head to the side with narrowed eyes and eyebrows of black knitted to his top eyelids. You waited a beat before you reached into your leather satchel of food and coins and tossed the scroll of yellowed parchment to your new friend. At once, his eyes widened in shock as he opened the scroll to read its contents before he gasped, "You got it?"

"Yep. You wouldn't think I'd fail a mission just because of a sick perverted target, now did you? After all, you did say I was the best at my craft." You replied with a wink of your eyes while you bit the tongue that you stuck out playfully at Tazim before he nodded with his mouth wide, "Indeed." Then, securing the parchment into his pouch, Tazim held his hand out for you to shake as he grinned ear-to-ear despite being serious and no nonsense most times, "You don't know how much this will help our cause. I can't express with words how thankful I am to you."

"You're very welcome. Now we're even." You nodded as you shook his hand back like a business partner completing a deal before you shrugged, "So, I guess you'll be leaving Jerusalem?"

"Yes, I have to give this to my uncles and father so we can stop Abbas...But for you, I can assure you that I'll return one day." Tazim responded with a small grin before you nodded with your own genuine grin, "Well, that would be a grand day indeed. Until then, I'll be here."

"Well, I guess I'll bid you ado. But you please stay safe and take care of yourself, (Name)."

"I will for you, Tazim." You smiled back as the young man in white and red smiled towards you before he went to the edge of the roof where a flock of birds were perched. Upon hearing footsteps behind them, the birds flew away while Tazim stood a little too close to the edge before he suddenly turned to you. Giving you a small smile, Tazim gazed into your eyes lovingly before he turned around and walked back over to you while he made an offer, "You know, since you have no one and barely enough tools for survival, I guess I could make you another offer."

"And that would be?"

"Join our cause as a new Assassin recruit at Novice rank...We could always use a good pick-pocket like you since that's one of our main methods of obtaining information about our targets from the people." Tazim asked of you prettily while you looked at the tall, dark, and handsome youth with widened eyes at his proposal. You were surprised by these revelations because you were just an orphan and a petty thief, so who would want to help you? You weren't Assassin material. You even said as much as you shrugged with a small sigh, "Why would you want to help me? You wouldn't want me as an Assassin."

"Yes, I would. The Creed offers a second chance to those with nothing. Perhaps it could help you find a purpose and pave the way for peace for the greater good." Tazim explained as you seemed to think it over in person with him while you bit the inside of your bottom lip as you tilted your head a little. On one hand, you were honored to have such a request come your way. But on the other hand, you didn't feel ready to make a hasty decision just yet. Therefore, you looked up at Tazim with soft eyes of (eye color) filled with many brimming emotions as you answered back, "I appreciate the offer, Tazim...But I don't think I'm ready to give you an answer yet."

"I understand, (Name)...I've asked too much of you already." Tazim nodded in understanding with his mouth closed and his eyes staring into yours before you shook your head, "No, you don't...You haven't asked too much of me because I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's been a change of pace for me and my provincial life." Then, cupping Tazim's tanned cheek with your fair dominant hand, you made the man look at you while you smiled politely with a warmth that could not be matched by even the Sun, "But I'll tell you what. Come back to me in Jerusalem and I'll have my final answer."

"You got yourself a deal." Tazim answered with his own smile as he cupped the small hand that was on his cheek with his larger palm before he kissed the flesh of your wrist. At once, you nodded solemnly before you grinned back, "I know, because I can honestly believe that..."

Then, with his hand by the back of your head, Tazim decided to let his heart speak before his mind as passion overtook reason. Pressing the gentlest kiss to your pink lips that he could muster, you felt Tazim come closer as he held your head with both of his hands stroking through your fragrant, soft hair while your arms dropped to your sides. You desperately wanted to slap Tazim in the face and push him away since you had never been kissed by a guy before. However, your heart was speaking at the top of its lungs in comparison to your mind full of logic and learned knowledge as you felt more often than not to never let this moment end. You never wanted his mouth to leave yours since he was so gentle in his advance and his tanned lips were so soft against your pink ones. At once, you raised your arms up so they were in Tazim's hair, your fingers flexing and relaxing through the short ebony tresses. The whole moment seemed frozen in time with the sun setting in hues of red and orange in the distance as you two kissed until you pulled away to breathe. Huffing lightly with your foreheads pressed together, you and Tazim gazed into each other's eyes with small smiles and red blushes upon your faces. Even after only two meetings, one quick-paced and tense and the other relaxing and civil, you and him both had the same feelings and thoughts from within. You and him had desperately fallen in love because such a kiss sealed that kind of honest deal. As Tazim tried to profusely apologize for taking advantage of you while your guard was down because of what happened earlier between you and the male target. Despite your short-lived shock at being kissed by a stranger you barely knew aside from a name and occupation, you told him not to be sorry as you claimed you enjoyed that moment because he was your first kiss and he was different from other men due to the fact that he was kind and gentle. Then, to calm his tense nerves, you leaned up on the tips of your toes to press your lips gently against his cheek, which seemed to work as his eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat while his lips pursed shut as if sewn together with needle and thread at your tender gesture. But it did seem to work as you could literally feel the heavy burden leave his broad shoulders once they lowered with the long exhale he gave in relief that you weren't angry with him. Then, with another smile directed to you with his chin resting on his shoulder just as you did when you escaped to the roof on your first meeting, Tazim went to the edge of the roof again as he opened up his arms like a bird and took a Leap of Faith into a cart of hay below, taking off sprinting down the cobblestone streets as you watched. You felt it in your heart that he would come back to you in Jerusalem because Tazim was a man of his word. They say eyes are the windows to the soul, and that sentence really meant something in regards to the son of Jerusalem Dai for the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, the famous Assassin Malik Al-Sayf. His eyes held no dishonesty even though he had weird methods of getting what he wanted, so you had faith that he was telling the truth.

Several days passed and you hadn't seen Tazim back in Jerusalem, but he didn't even tell you where he was going since it was to prevent compromising the location of his exiled family and friends in case Abbas wanted to wipe them out. So you didn't think much of it. Although, you did notice a small decorative box in silver and red inside your rooftop garden home as you found a necklace charm inside the ornate storage item. It was a beautiful craft of iron in the shape of a heart with a singular circular ruby in the center due to how small it was while the entire thing was attached to a small hook so it could slide onto a chain. Also inside the box was a small piece of parchment with a sweet message in black ink with handwriting so neat that a true scribe had created it while it read, 'You tried to steal my pouch, but you escaped. Then you stole my breath with your beauty. Now, you stole my heart so it might remain around your neck...I have to report to Abbas as his 'student' soon, but I will come back to you in Jerusalem as I promised once I have completed my journey. Please stay safe and keep out of trouble until my return. - Tazim.' Clutching the tiny note to your bosom, you closed your teary eyes with a genuine smile leaving your chuckling lips because of how sweet the gesture was. Now, you knew that Tazim really did care for you as you slipped the charm onto your mother's chain before you clutched the ruby and iron jewelry with your fingers. Feeling your own heart beat against Tazim's symbolic one, you smiled again as you secured the note back inside the decorative box of red and silver before you tried to go to sleep for the night after another day of stealing food and coin for survival. Clutching the necklace, you played around with it passing through your fingers by twisting it around as you reclined on your back before your vision went black during your descent into slumber.

Then, late one afternoon in Jerusalem, you returned home from a long day of petty theft as you carried your leather satchel slung over your shoulder like a ceremonial sash for a beauty pageant winner so it slapped against your hip with every step. However, you had that feeling again that you were being watched as the Sun set behind you in colors of reddish-orange while the heat beat down upon the land even though you saw no one. However, you heard someone drop down from a wood square hanging on a nearby construction beam as their booted toes crashed against the stone before you heard the sound of cloth robes waving back and forth. At once, a familiar male voice spoke to you as they replied, "A man is honorable when they live by their word, and I have lived by mine."

Within a few seconds, recollection of sweet nostalgia filled your veins of pumping blood as you grinned from ear to ear with teary eyes of (eye color). At once, you disregarded your stolen goods as you threw the satchel off you and ran to Tazim, who had open arms for you. Tackling him into a bale of hay that was somehow conveniently placed on the roof, you and Tazim crashed into the soft golden stack as both of you laughed before you nodded your head with a breathless whisper of 'Yes.' Thinking for a moment as to what you could possible mean, Tazim recalled the last conversation you two had as he got the hint before he nodded with a small smile. Then, within half of a nano-second, you pressed your pink lips against his tanned ones tenderly while he cupped the back of your head with one of his hands in your hair again. Anchoring himself up on one elbow, Tazim leaned back with you in his large arms as you cupped one of his tanned cheeks in your hand before you moved both hands into his hair. Kissing each other in the hay bale, you and Tazim waited a moment to catch your breath before you invited him into your home, taking his hand in yours as you both laid down on the wood. Opening one of the curtains, you and Tazim stared out at the scenery as you both kissed each other and watched the wonderful scenery of the fast-paced city below from your perfect view, with male merchants selling homemade goods and people of all trades and occupations transversing the cobblestone streets. In the meanwhile, you and Tazim made up for lost time as you kissed in the rooftop garden, never pausing once except for rare instances to breathe after you stole each others' breath. Tazim even called you beautiful with every break in the kisses while you called him handsome in your own kiss breaks. Eventually, you both grew tired as you yawned before you fell asleep in each other's embrace, with Tazim facing you in your descent to slumber as you both smiled warmly to insinuate the love you shared.

Who would've ever dreamed that stealing from an Assassin would lead into a dating relationship and a job offer? You never would've thought so since they seemed to care for people but were easily annoyed by beggars and troublemakers, as were every other citizen in the many cities of the Holy Land. But you were kind of glad you did try to pick-pocket Tazim because then you wouldn't have a sweet man loving you so tenderly. So, as you drifted off into the realm of your dreams to see Tazim's smiling face, you savored the feeling of his warm body pressed against yours before you went into a smiling trance alongside your new lover.


	11. Eagle Bearer x Fem! Mistios! Reader - Drachmae for You; Everybody Benefits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings, everyone. I’m pleased to present a prologue to some oneshots I will do for Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey since it’s my new obsession on top of Detroit: Become Human. Since you can choose to play as either Kassandra or Alexios as the Mistios/Eagle Bearer while the other half-sibling is Deimos, I will write the oneshots as such. Depending on who is the Eagle Bearer in the oneshot, the female reader will have a choice in love interests too. 
> 
> Nevertheless, please enjoy the first oneshot and please leave comments if you’d like.
> 
> ____________________________________________
> 
> Inspiration for the female mistios reader's outfit: 
> 
> * Hooded Knee Length Chiton & Armored Arm Guards = http://supercineverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WW-WonderWomanMovieHood.jpg
> 
> * Armor over Chiton = https://assets.pando.com/uploads/wonder.jpg AND https://wallpapersite.com/images/wallpapers/wonder-woman-1680x1050-gal-gadot-5k-hd-7572.jpg
> 
> *Hair = https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/0e/c3/1c0ec3d7410f6c7a222ef93015f1bf6f.jpg

A shining spear with a tip as sharp as Artemis’s arrows, striking through enemies with quick thrusts from a strong arm. A circular shield with silver and gold gleaming as bright as the grace of Athena to defend its bearer from an enemy’s harm. Raven-haired and beautiful with warm skin kissed by the Mediterranean beams of Apollo and eyes as dark brown as the very clay used to create Pandora was you, a female mercenary who fought with shield and spear. Wearing a blue hooded chiton as dark as a shadow and armor of silver and gold over the dress that seemed to be made by the inspirational Amazons themselves, you are known as the female mistios who passes judgement upon corrupt leaders that bring death and destruction to their people. But it wasn’t always like this because you were not always a mistios. Before becoming a mistios, you had a good life with your family until everything was ripped apart by corrupt, greedy people who sought out drachmae and power, scattering you and your siblings across the Greek world. Even though you were now free to go where you wanted and wield weapons whenever you wanted without the swift judgement of Athenians shaming you for not being ladylike, this was never the life you imagined for yourself but the Fates had something else in store for you. From Athens to Keos and all the way to Megaris, you went in search of something that you dared not to say. However, you didn’t find what you were looking for during your journey on the high seas as a teenager, running from people you dared not speak of except behind gritted teeth of wrath with a look of daggers and fire in your eyes. Nevertheless, you still completed contracts for average citizens who had problems with corrupt leaders, contracts for the Spartan soldiers who helped you when you were in Megaris, and contracts for the pirate captain who took you into her crew after you paid her to help you escape Athens years ago. It made you enough drachmae to survive and it got you more experience with fighting. So when you got a contract to go after corrupt thugs working for the Cyclops on Kephallonia, you couldn’t pass that opportunity up. As long as your spear got to pierce through a corrupt leader who brought death and destruction to their people, you were happy, regardless of how much drachmae came afterwards as a reward. And this was where your odyssey began. 

You were now an adult woman in Kephallonia, youthfully beautiful but mysterious according to the anecdotes of the men and women who saw you, a walking armory dressed in shadowy navy blue. Traveling through the markets by the docks, you hoped to find information about the thugs and the Cyclops through eavesdropped conversations spoken by civilians passing by. If you were going to face dangerous thugs, you had to know what you were dealing with. However, a fellow Mistios dressed in navy blue rags with minimal armor of leather caught your eye; they carried a spearhead that looked as if it had been ripped right in half alongside a sword and bow, but their golden brown gaze was always fixeMistiosd on the horizon, posture indicating they were always ready for a fight. Noticing an eagle flying overhead close to the mistios, you figured they had tamed the bird to work for them since you had seen many land predators kept as pets by many mercenaries. But what surprised you the most was when you saw a little girl traveling with the mistios, which was not common among mercenaries to do since many didn’t live long enough to have children or spouses, not even a quiet life away from mercenary work. With more thought though, you believed they could’ve been siblings. What drew you to them was the interactions between them, which reminded you of yourself as your own siblings before your family was torn apart and you fled Athens, but also the interactions they had with a merchant selling fresh food, which you just happened to overhear. 

“How much for all this food?” The mistios asked the merchant as the male seller of food answered back with a peppy voice, “250 drachmae.” 

Pulling out all the drachmae they owned and pouring all the shiny contents on the table, the merchant counted it before he shook his head, “This is only 100 drachmae. I will need 150 more for this transaction.”

“What? That can’t be right. I just got paid from a contact days ago.” 

“I’m sorry, but you don’t have enough for the food so you’ll have to put some back.” The merchant replied with a sad expression since he felt for the two customers, however, he had a business to run. Therefore, as the mistios and the little girl looked at each other sadly, they tried to decide amongst themselves what to put back and what to keep. However, you couldn’t allow this to happen, so you used your own drachmae to help as you slid the remaining amount for the transaction to the merchant with a soft smile, “Chaire, Sir. I couldn’t help overhearing but they need 150 drachmae for the food. Here, take this and a little extra for yourself.”

“Thank you, Mistios.” The merchant nodded vigorously as he took the payment before you nodded back to him with a warm grin, “You’re welcome.” Then securing your own coin purse to your waist, you noticed the little girl staring at your spear and shield as her brown eyes lit up like little stars, “Whoa, a female mistios! I’ve never seen one before, but I’ve heard of them from the stories circling around Kephallonia.” 

“Yes, I am a mistios, young lady.” You answered as you got down on one knee so you were at the eye level of the little girl before you continued to speak, “I’m known better by my title of Athena’s Champion, for I pass judgement on corrupt leaders who bring death and destruction to their people with spear and shield.”

“Wow!” The little girl gasped as her eyes continued to sparkle with awe upon your frame while her ebony hair shined in the Sun despite its placement in a messy bun. Smiling at making the child so happy with your alias and your occupation, you noticed the mistios listening in on the conversation with ears open and eyes never leaving contact with yours before you looked back at the girl, “You have a passionate fire in you, young lady. Independence and courage makes a great mistios like myself.” 

“Yeah, I wanna be a mistios myself when I’m older.”

“And I believe you will be, young lady.” You smiled with a nod as the girl nodded back with determination in her gaze before she noticed your shiny weapons again, prompting her to ask a serious question like a curious child always would, “Your spear is cool. Can I hold it?” 

________________________________________

Alexios! Eagle Bearer Version

“Phoibe, quit pestering the female mistios. She’s probably busy on a contract.” The male mistios looked to you before he shrugged, “I’m sorry, she’s just very eager to be like me.”

“She’s fine. The more curious she is about this occupation, the more it will help her learn to study her surroundings and her targets. Besides, I was not that much older than her when I first wielded this spear and shield.” You answered back before you asked, “And what mistios do I have the pleasure of meeting?” 

“The Eagle Bearer, but some call me Alexios. And I take it you have another name aside from your mercenary title or is that your only name?” The male, better known as Alexios, responded as he held his hand out to shake yours before you chuckled, “I do have my title but I also have another name. It’s (NAME).” After shaking hands with a fellow mistios, you turned back to the girl, Phoibe, as you unfastened your spear from your leather belt. Handing the gargantuan item to the smaller child, you instructed Phoibe on how to get into a warrior’s stance and how to properly grip the spear before the little girl’s chocolate orbs beamed in excitement. Taking a moment to get a feel of the weapon, Phoibe swung the spear back and forth while practicing jabbing techniques she had seen many times on Kephallonia before Alexios warned her to be careful not to hit anyone with the spear. However, the warning went unheard as Phoibe stabbed the spear through a merchant’s stall, frightening the female seller of fine jewelry as she ducked and cowered in her standing position with a scream. Crossing his arms over his chest, Alexios gave Phoibe a glare like a big brother to a disobedient little sister before the little girl winced and gave a whispered apology to you and Alexios while the male mistios nodded before rolling his eyes with a chuckle. Pulling the spear out of the stall and apologizing to the female merchant by giving her some drachmae to calm her down, you secured your spear back to your belt as you turned back to Phoibe and pat her little head, “Not bad at all. If that had been a grown man, you would’ve easily gotten him in the gut...You did well for your first time with a weapon, and it seems like the spear had a balanced weight in your hands. I see the makings of a great mistios in you.”

“Thanks.” Phoibe grinned at you as Alexios put his hands on both of the girl’s shoulders before you turned to the male mistios with hesitation evident in your tone and hand gestures towards himself and Phoibe, “I take it this is your...daughter?”

“Little sister, and a bit of an annoying one at that. She’s been with me ever since she was really little and had first come to Kephallonia.” Alexios responded as he ruffled Phoibe’s hair while she giggled and pushed his hand away before you nodded back with a gentle smile, “I see...I had a brother and sister once too, and they were a little annoying too.” With a subtle wink following your smile, you looked to Alexios and Phoibe before you prepared to depart, “Well, I must be off. Contracts and bounties are always around and drachmae to earn. If and when we meet again, Eagle Bearer, take care of yourself and may the gods watch over you.”

“As I wish the same for you, Athena’s Champion.” Alexios responded as he shook your hand again before you turned to Phoibe and bent down with your hands on both knees, smiling down at her, “And little Phoibe, keep your spirit of courage and determination alive. It will serve you well in the future and make you a great warrior one day.”

“I will, I promise.” 

And with one last grin directed towards the mistios and his little sister by adoption, you fetched your horse as you clicked your tongue and brushed your callused fingers through its coarse mane before you hopped onto your prized stallion. Guiding the horse around the merchant stalls so you could make a path without crashing into anyone, Alexios called out to you, “I’ll never forget what you did here today; no one on Kephallonia ever helps anyone else unless they want something. But I owe you for the food.”

Turning back around on your horse to face the male mistios, your stallion whinnied as you patted their neck before you shook your head and started trotting away, “Don’t worry about it, it’s just doing the right thing for your fellow man. But I have a feeling we’ll meet again and then we’ll be even. Chaire, mistios.” 

“Chaire, mistios.” Alexios responded back as he waved back at you, prompting you to wave back, before you rode off into the setting sun with a shout of ‘Hyah, onward’ as the two Kephallonians stared at you in awe. Surely, you were just a good-spirited demigod of legend or a Grecian goddess in human disguise. Or maybe you were a tangible human mistios who just had a good heart and a code of honor. Whatever the case was, Alexios and Phoibe were mesmerized by you and as luck would have it, this marketplace by the docks would not be your first and last meeting. After all, fate had something else in store for you, Athena’s Champion, judge, jury, and executioner of corrupt leaders and greedy humans. 

_______________________________________

Kassandra! Eagle Bearer Version

"Phoibe, quit pestering the female mistios. She’s probably busy on a contract.” The female mistios looked to you before she shrugged, “I’m sorry, she’s just very eager to be like me.”

“She’s fine. The more curious she is about this occupation, the more it will help her learn to study her surroundings and her targets. Besides, I was not that much older than her when I first wielded this spear and shield.” You answered back before you asked, “And what mistios do I have the pleasure of meeting?” 

“The Eagle Bearer, but some call me Kassandra. And I take it you have another name aside from your mercenary title or is that your only name?” The female, better known as Kassandra, responded as she held her hand out to shake yours before you chuckled, “I do have my title but I also have another name. It’s (NAME).” After shaking hands with a fellow mistios, you turned back to the girl, Phoibe, as you unfastened your spear from your leather belt. Handing the gargantuan item to the smaller child, you instructed Phoibe on how to get into a warrior’s stance and how to properly grip the spear before the little girl’s chocolate orbs beamed in excitement. Taking a moment to get a feel of the weapon, Phoibe swung the spear back and forth while practicing jabbing techniques she had seen many times on Kephallonia before Kassandra warned her to be careful not to hit anyone with the spear. However, the warning went unheard as Phoibe stabbed the spear through a merchant’s stall, frightening the female seller of fine jewelry as she ducked and cowered in her standing position with a scream. Crossing her arms over her chest, Kassandra gave Phoibe a glare like a big sister to a disobedient little sister before the little girl winced and gave a whispered apology to you and Kassandra while the female mistios nodded before rolling her eyes with a chuckle. Pulling the spear out of the stall and apologizing to the female merchant by giving her some drachmae to calm her down, you secured your spear back to your belt as you turned back to Phoibe and pat her little head, “Not bad at all. If that had been a grown man, you would’ve easily gotten him in the gut...You did well for your first time with a weapon, and it seems like the spear had a balanced weight in your hands. I see the makings of a great mistios in you.”

“Thanks.” Phoibe grinned at you as Kassandra put her hands on both of the girl’s shoulders before you turned to the female mistios with hesitation evident in your tone and hand gestures towards herself and Phoibe, “I take it this is your...daughter?”

“Little sister, and a bit of an annoying one at that. She’s been with me ever since she was really little and had first come to Kephallonia.” Alexios responded as she ruffled Phoibe’s hair while she giggled and pushed her hand away before you nodded back with a gentle smile, “I see...I had a brother and sister once too, and they were a little annoying too.” With a subtle wink following your smile, you looked to Kassandra and Phoibe before you prepared to depart, “Well, I must be off. Contracts and bounties are always around and drachmae to earn. If and when we meet again, Eagle Bearer, take care of yourself and may the gods watch over you.”

“As I wish the same for you, Athena’s Champion.” Kassandra responded as she shook your hand again before you turned to Phoibe and bent down with your hands on both knees, smiling down at her, “And little Phoibe, keep your spirit of courage and determination alive. It will serve you well in the future and make you a great warrior one day.”

“I will, I promise.” 

And with one last grin directed towards the mistios and her little sister by adoption, you fetched your horse as you clicked your tongue and brushed your callused fingers through its coarse mane before you hopped onto your prized stallion. Guiding the horse around the merchant stalls so you could make a path without crashing into anyone, Kassandra called out to you, “I’ll never forget what you did here today; no one on Kephallonia ever helps anyone else unless they want something. But I owe you for the food.”

Turning back around on your horse to face the female mistios, your stallion whinnied as you patted their neck before you shook your head and started trotting away, “Don’t worry about it, it’s just doing the right thing for your fellow man. But I have a feeling we’ll meet again and then we’ll be even. Chaire, mistios.” 

“Chaire, mistios.” Kassandra responded back as she waved back at you, prompting you to wave back, before you rode off into the setting sun with a shout of ‘Hyah, onward’ as the two Kephallonians stared at you in awe. Surely, you were just a good-spirited demigod of legend or a Grecian goddess in human disguise. Or maybe you were a tangible human mistios who just had a good heart and a code of honor. Whatever the case was, Kassandra and Phoibe were mesmerized by you and as luck would have it, this marketplace by the docks would not be your first and last meeting. After all, fate had something else in store for you, Athena’s Champion, judge, jury, and executioner of corrupt leaders and greedy humans.


	12. Bayek X Aya X Fem! Pre-Teen! Reader - New Life; New Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, this is Sakuraaeris1497. Since I’m obsessed with Detroit: Become Human and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, I wanted to write a oneshot for Assassin’s Creed: Origins that I’ve had an idea for a while now but never wrote down until now. 
> 
> Therefore, I’d like to share this prologue oneshot series with you all. Please enjoy and if you’d like to leave comments, you may. :)

Rome, Siwa, Kanopos Nome, Alexandria...These were your many homes ever since your childhood and even into your adulthood. But Siwa was always the home you knew for the longest amount of time and it was always the home where you felt the most comfortable, especially ever since you were adopted by two famous Medjay and had a happy marriage and two children with a good Siwan man. You even had two loving relatives related by blood or friendships with your parents, a diplomatic uncle and poetic godfather who cared for you as if you were their own and protected you from the danger of the Order of the Ancients as much as they could. And through all your experiences, it made you stronger and it made you a great Medjay, an even greater Hidden One. 

Born in Alexandria, your parents were Hellenized Jews, great scholars and writers under the tutelage of family friend and your future godfather, Phanos the Younger. But your mother had another identity as the half-sister of one of the most loyal and intelligent diplomats you had ever known, Apollodorus the Sicilian, through their fathers (who were Roman and Greek). Your father also had his own special identity as the descendant of two Peloponnesian warriors, a Spartan male known as the Eagle Bearer and an Athenian female known as Athena’s Champion through their son from decades ago. But both of your parents were also descended from members of the Hasmonean Kingdom, a powerful dynasty of Jewish men and women who were, in their own right, an independent kingdom. With the blood of so many ancient and yet such extraordinary people running through your veins, you were from two worlds that seemed to blend together through the union of your parents who were of the same race, Greek and Jewish. The only thing that separated your parents was social class, but even in spite of the fact that your father was a farmer’s son turned middle class writer and your mother a princess before being exiled by her older brother and his new wife after the birth of their son, they still managed to meet, marry without an issue, and have you, their previous baby girl. 

Unfortunately, tragedy would soon strike your family as sickness beyond medicine or prayer struck one part of the city of Alexandria, with Death taking both of your parents in one fell swoop while you were left alive. For what reason, you did not know since you were only an infant at the time. However, Phanos had rescued you from the disease at the behest of your mother and father, who were both on their deathbeds as the sickness choked the life out of them mercilessly, slowly, and as painfully as it could. Sheltering you in his home while he wrote to your Sicilian uncle, Phanos cared for you well as a dutiful family friend would to the little girl he was made godfather of the day she was born, making sure you were fed and clothed but also free from danger and sickness. For a week or two, Phanos raised you until the day your uncle returned early from a trip on business with his fellow diplomats to come get you. Your uncle LOVED his dear half-sister, your mother, with all his heart despite the fact that they were separated by distance of birth country and different birth mothers. He loved you and your father just as much because your father was always kind to your Sicilian uncle and you were half of your mother. So when he received the letter from Phanos detailing the death of his brother-in-law and sister after a diplomatic meeting with his business associates, it crushed your uncle and broke his heart into a million pieces like a clay vase that had fallen from a high shelf. Your uncle was there in so many aspects of your life that he saw many milestones. He had kept in contact with your mother since the moment he learned of her existence. He had attended the wedding of your parents in Alexandria. He had supported your mother through her pregnancy by writing letters to her and your father. He had even attended your birth alongside Phanos, which allowed him and the Grecian playwright to be named legal guardians to you should something happen to your parents. While he was honored to raise you as his own and keep Phanos as your godfather, it was at the cost of losing his younger half-sister and brother-in-law and that only made this adoption bittersweet. 

However, your famous uncle Apollodorus the Sicilian was a good parental figure and he was a very loving figure in your new home of Kanopos Nome at your uncle’s estate. You could remember your childhood as if it was only yesterday. Your uncle Apollodorus always carried you on his broad shoulders as a child so you could see famous landmarks of the times and he always told the best stories to you at bedtime as he always tucked you in with a kiss to the forehead and his most famous quote of “good night, my queen.” He also made sure you were well fed and clothed, and he often took you with him on business trips to many exotic locations to meet even more exotic people or on special trips to see your godfather Phanos when handwritten letters were not enough in order to stay in contact. Raised in a home where learning was paramount, you independently developed a love of reading and writing until you eventually wrote manuscripts for plays that you sent to your godfather, who published them under an alias for you and had them performed all over Alexandria. But you also became a great orator that even Apollodorus himself couldn’t believe his eyes and ears whenever he saw you give a speech in front of thousands without even breaking a sweat. Apollodorus also raised you well in the arts of politics, diplomacy, literacy, mathematics, and strategy. In short, Apollodorus raised you as if you were a Greek and Roman citizen but he also hired a Jewish informant of his to work for his house, an intelligent man who could let you learn the language and religious teachings of the culture that your parents shared. Known by your trademark of matching your uncle by wearing purple and white garments, all members of the court of Ptolemy XIII saw you grow up with such poise and maturity that you were a witty and tactful child that could rival Cleopatra VII and her younger brother-husband themselves. Even as a child, you always looked up to the charming, female pharaoh in the hopes that you would be able to lead people to fight for peace and freedom just as your ancestors of Sparta and Athens did years ago during the Peloponnesian War. However, while your childhood was a happy one despite the absence of your parents, tragedy would soon strike again and take you from your home once more. 

You were no older than twelve years old after a recent birthday and you were at home with your uncle, practicing your knowledge of the differences between the old Greek myths and the Roman equivalents. Sitting on the ground together outside the home, both of you clad in purple, your uncle ruffled your hair whenever you had a witty comeback and he always nodded with a “good job, your highness” every time you got an answer correct. However, danger was lurking near the estate as an informant sprinted into the area where you and your uncle Apollodorus were sitting before she shouted, “Apollodorus, we have trouble!”

“Stay here, my queen.” Your uncle instructed you while you returned his command with a single nod as you returned to your books before he asked his informant, “What kind of trouble?”

“Masked bandits, outside the estate. They have ranged weapons and they claim to be here to send a message, especially since you support the female pharaoh.” The Egyptian informant answered with solemn fear in her tone as Apollodorus commanded,   
“We need to get out of the open and we need to get my niece to safety.” 

“That was my plan exactly.” 

“Apollodorus, arrow volley above! GET DOWN!” Your teacher of Jewish texts and language shouted from the yard where you were sitting down at before he jumped forward to shield you both, resulting in a scream of fright from you as you dropped your books upon realizing what was happening and a battle cry to the heavens following an arrow to the calf of your teacher. Luckily, the warning came just in time as Apollodorus and the female informant protected themselves from the arrow volley with their own shields before everyone looked around the courtyard. Hundreds upon hundreds of arrows littered the ground like a great mythological or historical battle had taken place. While no one was killed in the onslaught, it shocked everyone inside and outside the estate since bandits or masked men rarely ever attacked Apollodorus’s home because of its walls and amount of guards. Nevertheless, someone had sent masked bandits to attack the estate but for what reason, no one knew yet. After the dust had settled, Apollodorus grabbed his face all of a sudden with a slight wince in-between his teeth as blood rained down his eyebrow, a fresh wound seeping crimson fluid after an arrow head had pierced through like a needle to cloth. Ripping off a piece of cloth from his cape, your uncle wrapped the cloth around his forehead and eye to stop the bleeding before he beckoned you to come closer. Looking left and right for any more signs of danger, you ran to your uncle in tears, frightened of all that happened. Holding you close with a tight squeeze to your trembling shoulders while you sniffled and wet the armor that sat upon your uncle’s chest, Apollodorus quieted you down with a few shushes and pats of your back while the female informant ran to your teacher to attempt to heal his leg with the proper medicine and gauze. Within a few seconds after the house attack, a bellowing voice that sounded either Greek or Egyptian echoed over the walls of the estate, “Our master sends his regards, Apollodorus the Sicilian.”

“What do you want?” Apollodorus shouted back over the wall as he squeezed you tighter in his arms to shield you from danger. 

“You chose the wrong ruler, but you can still be forgiven if you renege your support. If not, you and your whole house will perish, and your precious girl, well...we could certainly find a use for her.” The masked bandit leader replied as you trembled in your uncle’s embrace before he shook his head and squeezed you tighter, whispering in your ear that he would protect his queen and never let anything happen to you. Nodding your head in understanding to his promise, Apollodorus faced the house attackers as he made one last shout over the wall, “You don’t scare me and I’ll never take back my decision. The ruler I choose to support is the rightful pharaoh.” 

“Then you have sealed your fate and that of your house. Have a wonderful evening, Apollodorus, and you too, little (Name).” The leader shouted back before the sound of galloping hooves could be heard across the ground while Apollodorus picked you up and hugged you to his chest, his arms enveloping you fully like a baby in a swaddling cloth. Whispering promises into your ear that he would do whatever it took to protect you, he fetched his horse and grabbed you up with him before he announced to his informant and your teacher that he was heading off to Alexandria to visit an old friend and didn’t know when he’d be back. And with that, your new home and new life began.

After informing Phanos of the Kanopos Nome attack and talking over possibilities of where you would go, the two men argued for days on end over the fact that Apollodorus had to make a difficult decision to avoid you getting hurt because of his line of work and his support for the exiled pharaoh, Cleopatra. Phanos believed that you would be safer in Kanopos Nome so long as you didn’t leave the estate unless you had heavily armored guards with you because he didn’t feel that ripping you away from your home was fair after you had been ripped from your home once as an infant. But Apollodorus believed you would be safer in Alexandria since no one knew you there and you could pass off as someone else using a disguise. However, it killed Apollodorus with even the thought that in order to support Cleopatra and the world, he would have to lose you just as he lost his half-sister, and he couldn’t allow himself to give you away since he really did love you so. However, you had overheard the conversations and after pulling yourself together from the shock of the house attack, you offered up your own opinion since you understood you had to leave, even if Alexandria and Kanopos Nome were the only homes you had ever known. Remarking that Phanos had a female cousin who lived in Siwa that was training to be a Medjay, you believed you would be safer in Siwa since you would be raised by warriors and would be better camouflaged there even if you would be the only one who stood out due to your Greco-Jewish and Roman heritage. After careful consideration of your option, Phanos agreed to write his Siwan cousin a letter explaining the situation while Apollodorus agreed to let you go to Siwa without him. In all the time you had lived with your uncle as his adopted child, you had never once seen him cry until the moment he realized he was going to lose you because of his occupation, just as he lost your parents to natural causes. You couldn’t even stop your own tears upon seeing your uncle cry because you were scared of the unknown too. However, if this is what it took for you to be safe and have a chance to see your uncle again when you were older and stronger, then this was the way things had to be. 

At least one or two weeks had passed since Phanos wrote the letter to his cousin and Apollodorus had returned home with the lie to his fellow diplomats that you had perished during a home invasion by masked bandits working for his political enemies. And to his surprise, his fellow politicians believed him without much question since they noticed a new scar had developed on his eye, a thin line of skin freshly healing white after an arrow head pierced it during the home invasion. But everyone else also noticed how much more somber the man was without his little queen to bring joy and light to his life anymore, with Cleopatra being the first to remark that she missed her little friend and was sad to hear that her friend had perished all because her over zealous brother couldn’t stand the thought of his sister taking his throne away with help from supporters in his own court. However, Apollodorus could sleep easy every night knowing you were still alive and unharmed, safe from the masked bandits who attacked your happy home. During the entire few weeks you spent with your godfather, you continued to write new manuscripts for plays that could be performed in Alexandria, but you also helped offer constructive criticism to Phanos’s plays to make his already-exceptional writing even better. You also read more books in the library of Alexandria than you could ever imagine yourself laying your hands and eyes upon, which helped you gain an appreciation for ancient history and mythology from many different cultures and accounts. But you were especially interested in the history and practices of the Medjay, a people which you needed to familiarize with before you lived in their village and learned their ways so you could be stronger as a warrior and return to your uncle and your rightful home when you were older. 

Within the weeks following Phanos writing his cousin, a swift reply came back from Aya, who determined that she would come to Alexandria herself and see you before she decided to take you back to Siwa to live with her and her husband, Bayek. When you found out the woman was going to pay a personal visit to Alexandria to see you, it filled your little heart with such elation that you couldn’t sit still, even if you were educated to be a proper lady. Phanos himself couldn’t stop smiling upon seeing you so happy to hear that his cousin was going to visit. Within a few days time, a mysterious woman rode up to Phanos’s home, steering her horse into the nearby stables, just as you finished a passage of your favorite book on the history of Medjay. Marking your place in the book with your memory, you clutched the book to your chest as you flew down the stairs before you hid behind a wall. The scene before you was tender as Aya and Phanos embraced each other tightly while the Grecian playwright chuckled, “Dearest cousin, welcome to Alexandria.”

“Good to feel welcome here, cousin. How goes the world here?”

“As far as my plays are concerned, very successful with a full house every performance. But as far as personal life goes, it is a bit more complicated.”

“Your letters explained everything. I know of this couple you speak of who used to work alongside you in writing and performing plays, and I am aware of their daughter. And as I understand it, she is being hunted.”

“Yes, all because her uncle supports the exiled pharaoh rather than her brother-husband.” 

“Shame that a child should have to suffer for the sins of the parents or the legal guardians.” The mysterious female replied back to her cousin before she asked him, “Now, where is this little girl I’ve heard so fondly about? I’d like to meet her if she’s here.” 

“She might be upstairs in her room, but I can go get her-Ah, no, there she is! Seems you have yourself a shadow behind the wall.” Phanos replied with a chuckle upon realizing you were a sneaky thing who was darting in and out from behind the wall to the dining area as you stared at the woman before she stared back at you, eyes gazing upon you in wonder at how stealthy you were for a child before she found herself trying to hold back a snort of laughter. She didn’t know why she was so entranced by you and she didn’t know why you made her laugh so much, but within a few seconds, the world made sense. In that first moment of meeting you, Aya saw you for what you really were for herself and she was absolutely overcome with joy and laughter because 1.) You were a child, 2.) you seemed to be a carefree spirit despite all that happened to you, and 3.) you reminded the Greco-Egyptian so much of herself when she first met her husband as a child.

So it was no wonder that even when Aya quelled her excitement to meet you, you could tell that she absolutely loved children as she got down on one knee to be at your eye level before she lowered her head with a grand bow, “My queen, it’s an honor to meet you.” Seeing her follow your uncle’s tradition of calling you ‘queen’ only made you like the woman more as you grabbed your purple skirts and curtsied before you politely asked the woman to rise as she followed your command. Raising your head up to look at the woman, you could tell that she stood a whole foot taller than you even when you yourself were a tall child for your pre-teen age group. But you could also tell she was of mixed heritage like you, but hers was especially unique with Greek and Egyptian lining her features from her brown eyes and black, coarse hair that she wore in tiny plaits to her soft face and her skin, light tan but covered in multitudes of freckles, especially across her nose. Her clothes, while more revealing than a woman of your culture would be caught in, were nonetheless pretty to look at and certainly seemed more breathable and practical for running and walking in the desert than a long chiton with multiple layers. She also was a walking armory, a soldier taught to be a Medjay that would fight for all of Egypt. Overall, this woman looked as beautiful as she was strong, which put you at ease knowing that she might help you get stronger so you could return home again and fight the bandits who made you have to flee. Her staring at you and you staring back at her, you two made a silent connection as Phanos looked on in wonder before the woman held her hand out to shake, “Hello, my dear, my name is Aya. I’m Phanos’s cousin, but I’m sure you’ve heard of me before.”

“Yes, Phanos wrote many letters to you and I’ve heard many good things about you.” 

“Yes, he did. It’s very nice to meet you too since I’ve heard many good things about you as well.” Aya greeted you as your hand clasped hers with a good grip, resulting in a firm handshake as the armored woman smiled upon you and your sophisticated manners. As soon as your hands released, Aya cupped your cheek in one of her hands before she moved her hand down to cup your chin, “And does her highness have a name as lovely as her face and her title?” 

“Yes, it’s (Name). My parents wanted my uncle to have the honor of naming me, but he always nicknamed me ‘his queen.’ Phanos has the honor of giving me a stage name for my plays.” You answered back before Aya gasped playfully, “Ah, so she’s the one who wrote the plays that always create a full house Alexandria. Not you, dear cousin? Surely you haven’t aged out of your craft just as you’ve aged out of your good looks, right, Phanos?” 

“I’m still the best playwright in Alexandria and I still look good for my age. Age for a decade and then talk to me about losing my craft or my good looks, dear cousin.” Phanos retorted back as you and your duo of fellow Grecians cackled at the playful banter among close cousins. Within a few seconds, Phanos asked his cousin to stay for a meal with him in his home as she accepted, to which you couldn’t contain your excitement as both adults laughed under their breath, before Aya noticed you clutching a book to your chest, curiosity evident in her tone and eyes gazing intently at you while she asked you, “What’s that you got there?” 

“A book on the history of the Medjay. Ever since Phanos told me you and your husband were Medjay, I wanted to research them so if and when I visited Siwa, I would understand it better.” You answered back before the woman held out a motherly hand and asked to look at the book. Giving a small nod as you handed it over to her with the remark that ‘knowledge should be shared with all,’ you watched as Aya flipped through the multitude of pages as she nodded her head several times before she glared back at you with a small smirk, “This is very advanced Egyptian for even a child of your age group to read. You know how to read hieroglyphs?” 

“And write them. My uncle taught me how to read and write in the language of the Greeks and Romans mainly, but he also had friends who taught me the Jewish and Egyptian texts and languages.” You answered honestly as Phanos looked between you and Aya before the woman grinned back at you as she handed the book back to you and ruffled your hair lightly, remarking politely while you laughed at her gestures, “Smart girl, this research will serve you well in your training as a Medjay.” 

“You mean it? You would train a non-Siwan?”

“(Name), I am a former non-Siwan but my husband managed to teach me all he knew. Of course we want to help you and if that means making you a Medjay, then that’s how we’ll help you get strong enough to find your uncle again and take on those masked bandits who attacked your home.” 

“Oh, thank you so much, mater. I won’t let you down.” You replied as you embraced Aya lightly with your arms fully encircling her taller frame, which caused the Greco-Egyptian to gasp with glassy eyes at how sweet and polite you were before she returned the hug, “You’re welcome, my queen.” Then, with a tender kiss to your forehead, Aya accompanied you to the dining area with Phanos, who ruffled your hair and pulled out your chair for you at the table, as you all sat down together to dine on homemade Grecian cuisine and converse over subjects with less serious talking points. 

The next day, Aya prepared for the journey to return back to Siwa, saddling up her steed while she watched the scene between you and Phanos. Due to the nature of Apollodorus’s occupation, you would never be able to converse with him directly for fear of the masked bandits finding you again. However, Phanos offered up a different option during your private conversation as you asked, “And I’ll still be able to write to you and you’ll still be able to write to me?”

“Of course. The masked bandits only knew about you because of your uncle, but they have no idea who I am. You could even send letters to me and I’ll relay them back to your uncle so they won’t get found.”

“And you still want me to send manuscripts for plays?”

“Of course, my queen. You’re a better writer than some of my best apprentices that I’ve had for years.” Phanos remarked as you laughed at his joke alongside him before your tone turned solemn as you looked your godfather in the eyes, “We’ll see each other again, right?” Giving a nod, your godfather pulled you into his arms as you hugged him tightly for what seemed like the last time as Aya sighed deeply with eyes weary and glassy for you and your situation while she whispered to herself, “So young and yet so much in danger.” Embracing you tightly, Phanos kissed your forehead as he promised, “Zeus strike me down for lying, we’ll see each other again and I’ll personally invite your uncle here to fetch you when you return. It may seem like you’re gone for a while, but time will fly by so fast that you’ll blink and then before you know it, we’ll be together again. Safe travels, my queen.” 

“May the gods protect us all. Farewell, godfather, and may you have a long life with your plays successful and freedom alive all across the world.” You replied back as you kissed your godfather’s cheek before you fetched a horse that Phanos had in his stables for yourself and hopped upon it so you could straddle the saddle and follow behind Aya. Then with one last look at your birth home, you gazed to Aya as she gave a nod before you two rode off into the setting sun to return to Siwa, the land of the last two Medjay. 

Within three days, the journey from Alexandria to Siwa ended as Aya tapped your shoulder and pointed to her home while she grinned, “My queen, here it is, the place you always dreamed of...Siwa.” 

“It’s beautiful.” You gasped with a wide smile as Aya remarked, “Well, it’s even more beautiful once you’re inside the village. Right this way, my dear. Everyone will be waiting for the chance to meet you.” 

“Yes, mater.” You nodded as your horse and Aya’s trotted lightly through the sand while Egyptians moved out of the way to avoid being bumped or trampled over. Greeting many merchants politely as they greeted your new mother back, you nodded back to them politely as their eyes widened in surprise upon seeing a Greek or Roman citizen in Siwa. Despite this reaction, the people of the oasis were polite back to you as many of the children and elderly showed the most kindness to you before you and Aya stopped your horses outside one home in particular. Jumping off the horses and heading towards the door of the home, Aya knocked and waited before she heard a ‘come in’ originating from a male’s baritone. With a soft smile, Aya burst through the door as she ran to a dark-skinned walking armory who wore clothing similar to hers before she knocked him down, causing him to give a slight “oof” as they both crashed with a thud before Aya and her husband began laughing after sharing a passionate kiss. Giving a small smile towards your new parents showing affection to one another, it brought silent tears to your eyes and love to your heart as you hoped that one day, you would have a husband who would treat you the same way, before the two adults noticed you standing in the doorway. Beckoning you forward, Bayek looked to his wife for answers as he asked, “So, this must be (Name), the little one that I heard good stories about...Is that correct, my wife, my Aya?”

“Right, my Bayek.” Aya nodded as she beckoned you closer with a wave of her hand, to which you nodded and came closer so you were seated in front of the male Medjay as he gazed upon you and you gazed upon him. Standing a foot taller than you and a few inches taller than his wife, Bayek was an extremely handsome Egyptian with ebony hair that was shaved short and eyes as bright as the gold of the pyramids, muscles that looked like they had been sculpted from clay and a broadness to him that made him seem like a godly giant to you, a little pre-teen girl of twelve. After a few minutes of surveying each other, Bayek nodded as he bowed his head and got down on one knee so he was eye level with you before he grinned, “My queen, welcome to your new home in Siwa.” 

“Thank you, pater. Delighted to be here.” You replied with a grin as Bayek patted your head, causing you both to giggle as Aya looked on with joy bubbling in her heart at her husband showing such love to a child in their happy home before the woman directed you and your new father outside where a bonfire and a great feast among neighbors was set up to welcome you to Siwa. 

And with that, your new life in Siwa began. First, you were (Name) of Alexandria, the Greco-Jewish daughter of two playwrights and writers from Alexandria themselves. Then, you were (Name) of Kanopos Nome, niece of Apollodorus the Sicilian and accomplished playwright and writer. Now, you were (Name) of Siwa, daughter of Aya and Bayek and future Medjay. You didn’t want to leave your home and your uncle, but in order to keep you safe and make you stronger, sacrifices had to be made for  
the greater good. The future was uncertain and you didn’t know what was in store for you, but one thing was certain: You WOULD be a Medjay, you WOULD have the happy home and family you always wished for, and you WOULD return to your uncle and your home, stronger and wiser in order to liberate it from the masked bandits who attacked your home and caused you to have to flee in fear. You didn’t know what your destiny was, but one day, your destiny would be as crystal clear as water and you would change the world for all time.


	13. Eagle Bearer x Fem! Mistios! Reader - Save One Girl; Gain Two Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings everyone, this is Sakuraaeris1497 again. Here’s another oneshot for Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey for your enjoyment and entertainment. :)

Alexios Version

Some time had passed since you had last seen Alexios, the mysterious Eagle Bearer, on Kephallonia. Every once in a while, you would see Alexios and Phoibe in the marketplace near the docks or you would encounter Alexios in the woods and near the sea as you both liked to hunt and fish to save money on buying food in the marketplace. But for the most part, you enjoyed your solitude in the woods, camping high in trees to avoid attacks from hungry wolves on the grassy hills and valleys below. 

As of recent times, you were tracking down a bandit who worked for the Cyclops, a dangerous, greedy man named Malicus who stole money from the merchants of the Kephallonian docks to fund illegal slave trading all around the Greek world. The contract you obtained from a female civilian showed 500 drachmae for a reward if you caught the bandit, but money didn’t matter to you. As long as you got to bring justice to places full of corruption and power-hungry rulers, it didn’t matter if drachmae was coming your way or not. Therefore, you were glad to take the contract the moment it appeared on a Kephallonian message board, which led to your position in the woods, hiding among many bushes as you tried to track Malicus’s footprints ever since he left the docks to collect ‘his rightful payment’ from the merchants. Within a few hours of following close behind Malicus, you managed to track him down close to the beach as you noticed about three to four other bandits inside the campsite. But as you were devising a plan to close in on the camp, you heard a snapping branch behind you. With a grip on your spear and a 180 degree turn of your body, the iron tip was ready to pierce the neck of whoever came up from behind to startle you before a familiar face came into view. 

With a small chuckle as they pushed the pointy tip away from their neck, the mistios looked at you with a small grin before they greeted, “Fancy seeing you here, Athena’s Champion. But is pointing a spear tip a proper way to say hello on Kephallonia now?” 

“Alexios? What’re you doing here?” You asked as you put away your spear by securing it to your leather bands that ran along your back and waist before the man answered back, “Those bandits took Phoibe as ransom to draw me out for not paying the Cyclops. I came out here to track them down to get her back.” 

“Well, it seems as though we’re after the same bandits because I’m serving a contract to go after the leader and return the stolen money back to the dock merchants. I’m being paid handsomely for it.” You answered back before Alexios nodded with a chuckle and a soft smile. Turning to him with a small smile of your own, you asked him what he was smiling about before he shrugged lightly, “It seems as though you were right. One day we’d meet again and then I would owe you for your kindness...It seems that fate decided that this day has come.” 

“I guess so...Alright, Eagle Bearer, I’ll help you rescue Phoibe if you help me finish my contract.” 

“It’s your contract. I can’t take the drachmae and the credit for your work.” 

“I was thinking we split the drachmae since we would be doing equal work and be taking equal credit. After all, two heads are better than one. Besides, drachmae is just a bonus to me. Justice for the downtrodden and oppressed matters the most to me.” 

“You’re not like most mercenaries, (Name). Many of them would do anything for the money since they lack a good heart or compassion, but you, you’re different...I’m curious as to why that is.” 

“You’re different too, Alexios. Choosing a little girl’s life and opposing the feared Cyclops of Kephallonia over contracts that reward you with large amounts of drachmae...Not many mercenaries would do that either.” You shrugged lightly at each other as you both nodded with a small grin. In that moment, you felt a strong connection to this man. Something about fate leading you into crossroads with Alexios, it just felt right to you. When you had a decent childhood before being a mistios, even with every luxury being afforded to you that you could ever want or hope for, things never made sense to you since you saw things through rose-colored glasses and behind closed doors. But being a mistios put things into perspective because you saw the world for what it really was but also what it could be if corruption was snuffed out and justice was served, and it made absolute sense to you. And being in Kephallonia with Alexios, that definitely made sense to you. Therefore, it was no wonder then that you helped Alexios get his little adoptive sister Phoibe back and he helped you find and take out Malicus. 

Crouching down low into tall grass and bushes, you and Alexios crept closer to the campsite with weapons in hand as you heard Phoibe holding her own against the bullies with threats that Alexios would come for her and the bandits would be sorry for kidnapping her as ransom. Giving a small smile towards Phoibe’s courage from your respective hiding spots, you looked to Alexios as you signaled with your index finger that you were going to target the bandit close to you while Alexios nodded and pointed to the bandit in front of the bush where he was crouching in. Giving a small nod of agreement to each other, you both enacted your plans as you gave a little whistle from the bush you hid in. With an loud exclamation and question of ‘huh’ coming from the male bandit, a sword was drawn as your target came closer in order to check out where the noise came from before you flipped the man over your shoulder and wrapped your arms around his neck. Squeezing down as hard as you could until he passed out, you let the man drop out of your arms and into the grass below your feet before you slit his throat with the tip of your spear. After seeing you take out your bandit, Alexios went on the move with his target as he gave his own whistle before the bandit pulled out a bow and arrow to search for the source of the mysterious call inside the bush. Within a few seconds, Alexios did the same thing to his target that you did to yours before you watched the source of your contract move around the camp to check his money from the dock merchants, which was being kept in a large metal chest. This seemed to make the job to get Phoibe out of the main tent much easier since the only other bandits inside the camp were the ones guarding the young girl, but you and Alexios knew a quick way to draw them out. 

Meeting up in a nearby bush together to enact phase two of your plan to rescue Phoibe and complete your contract, you and Alexios whispered ideas to each other before agreeing on one particular idea that would seem to do the trick in luring the two criminals into the tall grass and bushes so Athena’s Champion and the Eagle Bearer could send the bandits to Hades. Separating from the bush into two separate bushes, you and Alexios repeated the following process of elimination just as you had done for two of the five bandits: 1.) whistle until the bandit hears the noise, 2.) wait for them to enter the brush to investigate the noise, and then 3.) take them out quietly to avoid unnecessary fights and bloodshed. It seemed easy enough since you and Alexios made quick work of the two remaining bandits with only the leader, your contract target Malicus, left. Heading inside the tent to rescue Phoibe, the little girl seemed overjoyed to see her two favorite role models, her famous mercenaries, as she whispered, “(Name), Alexios, you came for me.”

“Of course we came for you. Your ‘brother’ was helping me with a contract, which led to us working together to rescue you.” You grinned before you went behind the girl and got to work getting the chains enveloping her wrists undone with a soft command, “Just hang on a minute and I’ll get these off you.” 

“Okay, thanks.”

“You’re welcome, little warrior.” You replied with a smirk before you got to work on the chains manually using your spear tip as a lock pick since you didn’t have a key to unlock them yourself. However, you were quickly caught off guard by three arrows whistling into the tent. One flew past your face as it grazed your temple while a single bead of red ran down your face as you cradled Phoibe to your chest and cowered down as low to the ground as possible, watching as the other two arrows stabbed into the cloth of the tent. Crouching down to avoid the onslaught alongside you as you protected Phoibe, Alexios drew his bow and arrow, giving a proper headshot to the bandit who shot at you and Phoibe as the last one standing, Malicus, crashed into the grass. Standing back up as he looked out for more danger by going outside the tent to investigate, you let go of Phoibe as she sat back up and thanked you for saving her life before you nodded with a ‘you’re welcome’ and got back to undoing her metal bonds. After a few seconds of messing with the lock, the chains quickly fell off Phoibe’s wrists before she thanked you and rubbed the raw skin. Going outside the tent to help Alexios investigate the camp, you watched as the mistios confirmed that Malicus was truly deceased before he gave you a nod, “You helped Phoibe and I with buying food and you saved Phoibe before yourself when those arrows hit the tent...You really are not like other mercenaries.” 

“I had a little sister once and I always protected her before I became a mercenary. It’s the least I could do for you since you view her as such.” 

“I guess now we’re even.” Alexios shrugged as he went over to the chest containing the merchants’ hard-earned drachmae before you and Phoibe joined him. Looking inside, the total amount of coin-filled sacks in the chest equaled out to be over 1000 drachmae based on the weight of each leather bag alone. After carefully extracting the bags from the chest so they could easily be carried back to the Kephallonian docks, you and Alexios stole the horses that were residing in the bandits’ camp before you rode back into town to deliver the money back to its rightful owners. In those few seconds before you and Phoibe arrived at his side, Alexios could have easily taken some of the money for himself without much notice or suspicion. Mercenaries were infamous for thievery and murder, after all, and they would do just about anything to get their drachmae. But Alexios proved himself to be different from other mercenaries because he was honorable and had a good heart, even behind that tough exterior. This only created a smile of admiration from you towards a fellow mistios who did his job for more than just drachmae and who made sure you were bandaged from your run-in with death by arrows even when you knew first aid yourself. After making sure you were free of injuries, Alexios jumped on one of the horses after helping Phoibe onto the horse before you jumped onto the other horse and followed the man to the docks and merchant stalls. 

As soon as you sauntered in with the money to be returned to the merchants, both of you were welcomed in as heroes of Kephallonia as the woman who offered you the contract came to the side of your steed to thank you for following through on your promise to rid the lands of Malicus’s corruption. Just as promised and agreed upon with a proper handshake, 500 drachmae was rewarded to you for your quick work. After being well-received by the dock merchants, you sauntered over to Alexios, who was checking Phoibe over for wounds as she kept telling her older sibling figure that she was truly okay before you announced with an open hand full of drachmae, “Just as promised, half of the rewards for you doing an equal share of half the work.”

“It was your contract, not mine. You're very generous, but you need it more than me.” Alexios shook his hand politely as he pushed your open palm away before you countered with the same amount of decency and courtesy, “Alexios, I insist. There will always be more contracts for me with monetary rewards. Please, take the drachmae. Justice and good triumphing over evil and corruption matters more to me than money and fame.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” 

“Thanks.” Alexios nodded back with a smirk and squinted eyes brought about by shock and skepticism towards your otherworldly altruism as a mistios in a place like Kephallonia before you smiled back with every bit of sincerity in your tone, “My pleasure.” Handing the money over to Alexios, you two exchanged another glance together before the sun started to set. Taking notice that it would get dark soon, Alexios beckoned Phoibe to come back to his home with him since they would have a long ride by horseback to avoid the many prowling wolves that awaited them on the road. In the meanwhile, you were about to go back into those very woods and try to find a nice tree branch to sleep on before the dangers of the night came into view. However, before you could part ways again, Alexios stopped you as he asked, “(Name), it’s getting dark and the wolves are especially ravenous at this time. Why don’t you come back to my home for the night?” 

“I couldn’t impose.”

“You won’t be. You helped me twice, and I only helped you once, so we’re not exactly even yet.”

“Are you sure you want me to stay?”

“Positive.” 

“Alright, Alexios, then I’ll stay for the night.” You smiled back kindly to match his white grin before you nodded to his request as a means of accepting it, which seemed to make Alexios’s day as he couldn’t stop smiling back at you. Within a few seconds of accepting Alexios’s offer rather than your original plan of sleeping in a tree branch, you   
both jumped on your horses (Phoibe riding on your steed with you) and galloped towards the stone walls and roof that the famous Eagle Bearer called home before you and Alexios hopped off your horses and entered the humble abode. 

Leading you and Phoibe inside first, Alexios closed the door and headed to the hearth to set it alight before you pulled out some fruit, cheese, and bread from your satchel, fresh food that you had stolen from the bandit camp for yourself and later Alexios and Phoibe once they let you stay in their home. Divvying up the food among the three of you, Alexios and Phoibe thanked you for the kind gesture before you all began to have a proper meal around a proper fire, even as the wind and rain started to begin outside with the first sound of crashing thunder and stream of lightning that pierced the night sky. 

At dinner, Phoibe took this time to ask you a bunch of questions as she licked juice off her hand from the large piece of fruit she shoved into her little mouth, “So, (Name), where were you from originally before you came here to Kephallonia?”

“Oh, I was from...Megaris until I received a contract to hunt down the Cyclops and his bandits here. And you?”

“I was born in Athens but then I became a street urchin and found my way here. And rumor has it, Alexios is a former Spartan.” 

“Is that so?” You asked as you looked to your fellow peer with narrowed eyes and a soft smirk before Alexios shrugged off Phoibe’s rumor while also giving you a small wink when the little girl wasn’t looking. Then, Alexios looked to you before he took a swig of water, “You hesitated in your answer to Phoibe’s question and ever since I’ve met you, you seem too kind-hearted and educated to be from Megaris.” 

“And if you had to infer about where I came from, where would you guess?” You asked with squinted orbs of (Eye Color) as your eyebrows lifted above your eyelids and a taunting smirk laced your beautiful face before Alexios gave his answer, “Mercenaries recognize Athenians to be some of the highest-paying and well-educated customers. I also heard a rumor that you were Athenian.” 

“Well, it seems as though you’re perceptive, Eagle Bearer.”

“It’s a qualification needed for this job.” Alexios shrugged as he took a bite of fruit before you nodded and sipped your water while giving the man a wink to confirm what he had figured out about you, “Indeed.” After a few more minutes of dining, Phoibe started to yawn as you and Alexios took notice before you offered, “I can put her to bed for you.”

“I have a couple bedrolls and blankets, but they’re ripped.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Sometimes, when I was without a camp to go back to, I had to sleep on the ground or in trees because I didn’t have a bedroll or blanket.” You shrugged as you quickly grabbed the items and laid them down by the fire before you asked, “Is this fine or does Phoibe have a usual place where she sleeps at night?” 

“She usually sneaks around Kephallonia at night and sleeps on the roof when she’s tired, but when there’s a storm, I make her come and stay inside.” 

“I’ll set her up by the fire then.” You replied as you went back to the dining area on the floor to lead Phoibe to the comfortable setting before you tucked her in and rekindled the hearth with fresh wood. After making sure Phoibe was comfortable, you remarked that it was time for her to go to sleep before she asked you, “Do you know any stories or songs? I heard once from the dock merchants that Athenians are well-educated and tell the best stories. And since you’re rumored to be Athenian, I thought you could tell me one.” 

“Oh, did you? Well, I’ve heard that is true too. Even if it’s not true, I would be honored to tell you a story or sing you a song. Though I will warn you, I only know war songs and famous myths...Any requests?” You smiled as you pat Phoibe’s little hands before she prettily questioned with another yawn, “Can you make up a story or sing one of the war songs?” 

“Sure.” You nodded as you thought to yourself for a moment before a familiar song entered your mind. It was a sacred tradition of yours to sing this song at the same time every night before you went to bed, and ever since you left your original home, singing this particular song was paramount because it reminded you of your brother and sister as well as your mother. Clearing your throat as you held Phoibe’s hand in your gloved one, you brushed a strand of ebony hair away from the little girl’s face before you began the song. Though the song was pretty short, the effects of Morpheus whisking Phoibe away to the her sweetest dreams were evident as she yawned one last time, closed her eyes, and curled up tightly under the tattered blanket. Watching her chest rise and fall slowly as she remained in the fetal position, you smiled as you looked to Alexios, who was smiling back at you and Phoibe during that tender scene, before you kissed the girl’s forehead and bid her goodnight. 

Walking over to where Alexios was sitting on the floor, you both braced your backs against the wall and sat cross-legged together so you could stare at Phoibe as she slept peacefully before you remarked, “She’s such a sweet girl. Looking at her reminds me of my little sister when my brother and I used to sing together with her at the same time every night before we went to sleep.” 

“While Phoibe can be stubborn and annoying every once in a while, I wouldn’t have it any other way because she’s such a sweet kid.” Alexios answered back with a soft smile that didn’t go unnoticed by you before he flexed his arms forward to stretch them out after hours of sitting on the floor to eat before he turned to you, taking his time in formulating a question for you to answer, “(Name), can I ask you something?”

“I don’t see why not, so you may proceed and I’ll answer it honestly.” 

“Where do you live on Kephallonia? I noticed you didn’t have anything with you to make a campsite and you don’t have a home like mine to go back to.” Alexios explained as he awaited your answer before you finished the bite of fruit and sip of water you had left of your meal to give a reply, “I camp out in tree branches so the wolves below don’t eat me. It’s not like I’m any other mercenary that has a tamed animal or another companion around to protect me as I sleep.” 

“So you don’t have a home?” 

“As of now, no, I don’t. But it’s perfectly fine because I’m used to it.” You shrugged your living situation off a little as Alexios looked at you with sympathy over the shared fact that you and him didn’t have a real home aside from Kephallonia now among yourselves and Phoibe. But after giving your situation some thought, Alexios thought he came up with a good solution to it as he presented it to you,   
“Then, why don’t you come live here with me? I already have Phoibe here, so I don’t see why I couldn’t have another person stay here.” 

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be because Phoibe and I like you and if I know her, I know she’d love to have you here because I want you here.” Alexios explained his reasoning as you asked, “You do?” Giving a small nod to you, you turned your gaze to where Phoibe was sleeping again as Alexios watched your reaction and awaited a response of whether you’d be living with him and Phoibe or not. Shaking your head with a grin as you sniffled and wiped stray tears from your eyes with your gloved hands, you turned to Alexios with eyes never losing focus on his golden brown orbs before you admitted, “You know, ever since I came to Kephallonia, I have never been shown any kindness other than promises of drachmae for hunting down bandits and those who work for the Cyclops. And now, today, I get a hero’s welcome from the dock merchants and offer to live with you and Phoibe...It’s more than I ever could’ve asked for as a mercenary.” 

“Well, it’s like you said, Athena’s Champion. I want to help a fellow man like you helped me, and this seems to be right to me since you have no home and Phoibe looks up to you too.” 

“Alright, Eagle Bearer, then I’ll stay.” You replied as you shook hands with Alexios while sitting on the floor together before the male mistios offered to fetch some blankets and a bedroll for you and him since it was getting late and it was high time you both went to bed. Nodding in agreement, you took the blanket and bedroll that Alexios handed you and set the area up for yourself before you bid Alexios goodnight and curled up into a ball under your tattered blanket. At the same time, Alexios stayed up just a little while longer to watch you and Phoibe as his two girls slept before his eyes focused solely on you. 

There was so much kindness and mystery in you that it made you more beautiful and exotic to him. Something about having you stay with him in his home felt right because you were not like other mercenaries that he encountered on Kephallonia. You protected Phoibe, a little girl, before saving yourself from an arrow barrage. You gave all stolen drachmae and belongings back to their rightful owners without taking a little bit for yourself. You became a mistios for more honorable reasons, not for drachmae. You paid for food that strangers could not pay for all because you felt like helping your fellow man. That made you not like most mercenaries. But then again, you might not have always been a mistios, just like Alexios was a former high class citizen of Sparta and direct descendant of Leonidas before he was found by Markos on Kephallonia as a child after his boat crashed during a storm. So maybe you had a past that you either left behind voluntarily or a past that you had to escape from because of its festering pain. After all, you were rumored to be Athenian and seemed well-educated enough to confirm the theory, but you also mentioned having siblings several time without revealing their names and their status of living or dead or your true identity. You also hesitated in your answer in where you were from before you came to Kephallonia. You said Megaris but you paused for too long, as if you were thinking of what to say on the fly. But it didn’t matter to Alexios who you were or where you came from, in spite of his curiosity about you. You had always shown him and Phoibe nothing but kindness with no strings attached and for the most part, you seemed honest about everything aside from your identity. But then again, most mercenaries hid their true identities or over-exaggerated stories to make themselves seem more fearful so they’d get paid more. Nevertheless, Alexios was more than happy to welcome you into his home and in return, you were more than grateful for his offer of giving you a home and second family. Every drachmae earned by you went into helping yourself and your two new friends survive, and in return, Phoibe got a new role model and Alexios got a new companion to trust. You thought contracts on Kephallonia would lead to nothing aside from drachmae and the pleasure of ridding the island of corruption from poor leadership. Instead, two new friends entered your life and gave it meaning, reminding you of your previous life with your siblings before tragedy struck your home. Fate had something in store for you, and after much contemplation and prayer, it only became clear that Phoibe and Alexios were to be a part of your odyssey, which you wouldn’t complain about since they were the best thing that ever happened to you in a long while. 

_____________________________________

Kassandra Version 

Some time had passed since you had last seen Kassandra, the mysterious Eagle Bearer, on Kephallonia. Every once in a while, you would see Kassandra and Phoibe in the marketplace near the docks or you would encounter Kassandra in the woods and near the sea as you both liked to hunt and fish to save money on buying food in the marketplace. But for the most part, you enjoyed your solitude in the woods, camping high in trees to avoid attacks from hungry wolves on the grassy hills and valleys below. 

As of recent times, you were tracking down a bandit who worked for the Cyclops, a dangerous, greedy man named Malicus who stole money from the merchants of the Kephallonian docks to fund illegal slave trading all around the Greek world. The contract you obtained from a female civilian showed 500 drachmae for a reward if you caught the bandit, but money didn’t matter to you. As long as you got to bring justice to places full of corruption and power-hungry rulers, it didn’t matter if drachmae was coming your way or not. Therefore, you were glad to take the contract the moment it appeared on a Kephallonian message board, which led to your position in the woods, hiding among many bushes as you tried to track Malicus’s footprints ever since he left the docks to collect ‘his rightful payment’ from the merchants. Within a few hours of following close behind Malicus, you managed to track him down close to the beach as you noticed about three to four other bandits inside the campsite. But as you were devising a plan to close in on the camp, you heard a snapping branch behind you. With a grip on your spear and a 180 degree turn of your body, the iron tip was ready to pierce the neck of whoever came up from behind to startle you before a familiar face came into view. 

With a small chuckle as they pushed the pointy tip away from their neck, the mistios looked at you with a small grin before they greeted, “Fancy seeing you here, Athena’s Champion. But is pointing a spear tip a proper way to say hello on Kephallonia now?” 

“Kassandra? What’re you doing here?” You asked as you put away your spear by securing it to your leather bands that ran along your back and waist before the woman answered back, “Those bandits took Phoibe as ransom to draw me out for not paying the Cyclops. I came out here to track them down to get her back.” 

“Well, it seems as though we’re after the same bandits because I’m serving a contract to go after the leader and return the stolen money back to the dock merchants. I’m being paid handsomely for it.” You answered back before Kassandra nodded with a chuckle and a soft smile. Turning to her with a small smile of your own, you asked her what she was smiling about before she shrugged lightly, “It seems as though you were right. One day we’d meet again and then I would owe you for your kindness...It seems that Fate decided that this day has come.” 

“I guess so...Alright, Eagle Bearer, I’ll help you rescue Phoibe if you help me finish my contract.” 

“It’s your contract. I can’t take the drachmae and the credit for your work.” 

“I was thinking we split the drachmae since we would be doing equal work and be taking equal credit. After all, two heads are better than one. Besides, drachmae is just a bonus to me. Justice for the downtrodden and oppressed matters the most to me.” 

“You’re not like most mercenaries, (Name). Many of them would do anything for the money since they lack a good heart or compassion, but you, you’re different...I’m curious as to why that is.” 

“You’re different too, Kassandra. Choosing a little girl’s life and opposing the feared Cyclops of Kephallonia over contracts that reward you with large amounts of drachmae...Not many mercenaries would do that either.” You shrugged lightly at each other as you both nodded with a small grin. In that moment, you felt a strong connection to this woman. Something about fate leading you into crossroads with Kassandra, it just felt right to you. When you had a decent childhood before being a mistios, even with every luxury being afforded to you that you could ever want or hope for, things never made sense to you since you saw things through rose-colored glasses and behind closed doors. But being a mistios put things into perspective because you saw the world for what it really was but also what it could be if corruption was snuffed out and justice was served, and it made absolute sense to you. And being in Kephallonia with Kassandra, that definitely made sense to you. Therefore, it was no wonder then that you helped Kassandra get her little adoptive sister Phoibe back and she helped you find and take out Malicus. 

Crouching down low into tall grass and bushes, you and Kassandra crept closer to the campsite with weapons in hand as you heard Phoibe holding her own against the bullies with threats that Kassandra would come for her and the bandits would be sorry for kidnapping her as ransom. Giving a small smile towards Phoibe’s courage from your respective hiding spots, you looked to Kassandra as you signaled with your index finger that you were going to target the bandit close to you while Kassandra nodded and pointed to the bandit in front of the bush where she was crouching in. Giving a small nod of agreement to each other, you both enacted your plans as you gave a little whistle from the bush you hid in. With an loud exclamation and question of ‘huh’ coming from the male bandit, a sword was drawn as your target came closer in order to check out where the noise came from before you flipped the man over your shoulder and wrapped your arms around his neck. Squeezing down as hard as you could until he passed out, you let the man drop out of your arms and into the grass below your feet before you slit his throat with the tip of your spear. After seeing you take out your bandit, Kassandra went on the move with her target as he gave his own whistle before the bandit pulled out a bow and arrow to search for the source of the mysterious call inside the bush. Within a few seconds, Kassandra did the same thing to her target that you did to yours before you watched the source of your contract move around the camp to check his money from the dock merchants, which was being kept in a large metal chest. This seemed to make the job to get Phoibe out of the main tent much easier since the only other bandits inside the camp were the ones guarding the young girl, but you and Kassandra knew a quick way to draw them out. 

Meeting up in a nearby bush together to enact phase two of your plan to rescue Phoibe and complete your contract, you and Kassandra whispered ideas to each other before agreeing on one particular idea that would seem to do the trick in luring the two criminals into the tall grass and bushes so Athena’s Champion and the Eagle Bearer could send the bandits to Hades. Separating from the bush into two separate bushes, you and Kassandra repeated the following process of elimination just as you had done for two of the five bandits: 1.) whistle until the bandit hears the noise, 2.) wait for them to enter the brush to investigate the noise, and then 3.) take them out quietly to avoid unnecessary fights and bloodshed. It seemed easy enough since you and Kassandra made quick work of the two remaining bandits with only the leader, your contract target Malicus, left. Heading inside the tent to rescue Phoibe, the little girl seemed overjoyed to see her two favorite role models, her famous mercenaries, as she whispered, “(Name), Kassandra, you came for me.”

“Of course we came for you. Your ‘sister’ was helping me with a contract, which led to us working together to rescue you.” You grinned before you went behind the girl and got to work getting the chains enveloping her wrists undone with a soft command, “Just hang on a minute and I’ll get these off you.” 

“Okay, thanks.”

“You’re welcome, little warrior.” You replied with a smirk before you got to work on the chains manually using your spear tip as a lock pick since you didn’t have a key to unlock them yourself. However, you were quickly caught off guard by three arrows whistling into the tent. One flew past your face as it grazed your temple while a single bead of red ran down your face as you cradled Phoibe to your chest and cowered down as low to the ground as possible, watching as the other two arrows stabbed into the cloth of the tent. Crouching down to avoid the onslaught alongside you as you protected Phoibe, Kassandra drew her bow and arrow, giving a proper headshot to the bandit who shot at you and Phoibe as the last one standing, Malicus, crashed into the grass. Standing back up as she looked out for more danger by going outside the tent to investigate, you let go of Phoibe as she sat back up and thanked you for saving her life before you nodded with a ‘you’re welcome’ and got back to undoing her metal bonds. After a few seconds of messing with the lock, the chains quickly fell off Phoibe’s wrists before she thanked you and rubbed the raw skin. Going outside the tent to help Kassandra investigate the camp, you watched as the mistios confirmed that Malicus was truly deceased before she gave you a nod, “You helped Phoibe and I with buying food and you saved Phoibe before yourself when those arrows hit the tent...You really are not like other mercenaries.” 

“I had a little sister once and I always protected her before I became a mercenary. It’s the least I could do for you since you view her as such.” 

“I guess now we’re even.” Kassandra shrugged as she went over to the chest containing the merchants’ hard-earned drachmae before you and Phoibe joined her. Looking inside, the total amount of coin-filled sacks in the chest equaled out to be over 1000 drachmae based on the weight of each leather bag alone. After carefully extracting the bags from the chest so they could easily be carried back to the Kephallonian docks, you and Kassandra stole the horses that were residing in the bandits’ camp before you rode back into town to deliver the money back to its rightful owners. In those few seconds before you and Phoibe arrived at his side, Kassandra could have easily taken some of the money for herself without much notice or suspicion. Mercenaries were infamous for thievery and murder, after all, and they would do just about anything to get their drachmae. But Kassandra proved herself to be different from other mercenaries because she was honorable and had a good heart, even behind that tough exterior. This only created a smile of admiration from you towards a fellow mistios who did her job for more than just drachmae and who made sure you were bandaged from your run-in with death by arrows even when you knew first aid yourself. After making sure you were free of injuries, Kassandra jumped on one of the horses after helping Phoibe onto the horse before you jumped onto the other horse and followed the woman to the docks and merchant stalls. 

As soon as you sauntered in with the money to be returned to the merchants, both of you were welcomed in as heroes of Kephallonia as the woman who offered you the contract came to the side of your steed to thank you for following through on your promise to rid the lands of Malicus’s corruption. Just as promised and agreed upon with a proper handshake, 500 drachmae was rewarded to you for your quick work. After being well-received by the dock merchants, you sauntered over to Kassandra, who was checking Phoibe over for wounds as she kept telling her older sibling figure that she was truly okay before you announced with an open hand full of drachmae, “Just as promised, half of the rewards for you doing an equal share of half the work.”

“It was your contract, not mine. You're very generous, but you need it more than me.” Kassandra shook her hand politely as she pushed your open palm away before you countered with the same amount of decency and courtesy, “Kassandra, I insist. There will always be more contracts for me with monetary rewards. Please, take the drachmae. Justice and good triumphing over evil and corruption matters more to me than money and fame.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” 

“Thanks.” Kassandra nodded back with a smirk and squinted eyes brought about by shock and skepticism towards your otherworldly altruism as a mistios in a place like Kephallonia before you smiled back with every bit of sincerity in your tone, “My pleasure.” Handing the money over to Kassandra, you two exchanged another glance together before the sun started to set. Taking notice that it would get dark soon, Kassandra beckoned Phoibe to come back to her home with her since they would have a long ride by horseback to avoid the many prowling wolves that awaited them on the road. In the meanwhile, you were about to go back into those very woods and try to find a nice tree branch to sleep on before the dangers of the night came into view. However, before you could part ways again, Kassandra stopped you as she asked, “(Name), it’s getting dark and the wolves are especially ravenous at this time. Why don’t you come back to my home for the night?” 

“I couldn’t impose.”

“You won’t be. You helped me twice, and I only helped you once, so we’re not exactly even yet.”

“Are you sure you want me to stay?”

“Positive.” 

“Alright, Kassandra, then I’ll stay for the night.” You smiled back kindly to match her white grin before you nodded to her request as a means of accepting it, which seemed to make Kassandra’s day as she couldn’t stop smiling back at you. Within a few seconds of accepting Kassandra’s offer rather than your original plan of sleeping in a tree branch, you   
both jumped on your horses (Phoibe riding on your steed with you) and galloped towards the stone walls and roof that the famous Eagle Bearer called home before you and Kassandra hopped off your horses and entered the humble abode. 

Leading you and Phoibe inside first, Kassandra closed the door and headed to the hearth to set it alight before you pulled out some fruit, cheese, and bread from your satchel, fresh food that you had stolen from the bandit camp for yourself and later Kassandra and Phoibe once they let you stay in their home. Divvying up the food among the three of you, Kassandra and Phoibe thanked you for the kind gesture before you all began to have a proper meal around a proper fire, even as the wind and rain started to begin outside with the first sound of crashing thunder and stream of lightning that pierced the night sky. 

At dinner, Phoibe took this time to ask you a bunch of questions as she licked juice off her hand from the large piece of fruit she shoved into her little mouth, “So, (Name), where were you from originally before you came here to Kephallonia?”

“Oh, I was from...Megaris until I received a contract to hunt down the Cyclops and his bandits here. And you?”

“I was born in Athens but then I became a street urchin and found my way here. And rumor has it, Kassandra is a former Spartan.” 

“Is that so?” You asked as you looked to your fellow peer with narrowed eyes and a soft smirk before Kassandra shrugged off Phoibe’s rumor while also giving you a small wink when the little girl wasn’t looking. Then, Kassandra looked to you before she took a swig of water, “You hesitated in your answer to Phoibe’s question and ever since I’ve met you, you seem too kind-hearted and educated to be from Megaris.” 

“And if you had to infer about where I came from, where would you guess?” You asked with squinted orbs of (Eye Color) as your eyebrows lifted above your eyelids and a taunting smirk laced your beautiful face before Kassandra gave her answer, “Mercenaries recognize Athenians to be some of the highest-paying and well-educated customers. I also heard a rumor that you were Athenian.” 

“Well, it seems as though you’re perceptive, Eagle Bearer.”

“It’s a qualification needed for this job.” Kassandra shrugged as she took a bite of fruit before you nodded and sipped your water while giving the woman a wink to confirm what she had figured out about you, “Indeed.” After a few more minutes of dining, Phoibe started to yawn as you and Alexios took notice before you offered, “I can put her to bed for you.”

“I have a couple bedrolls and blankets, but they’re ripped.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Sometimes, when I was without a camp to go back to, I had to sleep on the ground or in trees because I didn’t have a bedroll or blanket.” You shrugged as you quickly grabbed the items and laid them down by the fire before you asked, “Is this fine or does Phoibe have a usual place where she sleeps at night?” 

“She usually sneaks around Kephallonia at night and sleeps on the roof when she’s tired, but when there’s a storm, I make her come and stay inside.” 

“I’ll set her up by the fire then.” You replied as you went back to the dining area on the floor to lead Phoibe to the comfortable setting before you tucked her in and rekindled the hearth with fresh wood. After making sure Phoibe was comfortable, you remarked that it was time for her to go to sleep before she asked you, “Do you know any stories or songs? I heard once from the dock merchants that Athenians are well-educated and tell the best stories. And since you’re rumored to be Athenian, I thought you could tell me one.” 

“Oh, did you? Well, I’ve heard that is true too. Even if it’s not true, I would be honored to tell you a story or sing you a song. Though I will warn you, I only know war songs and famous myths...Any requests?” You smiled as you pat Phoibe’s little hands before she prettily questioned with another yawn, “Can you make up a story or sing one of the war songs?” 

“Sure.” You nodded as you thought to yourself for a moment before a familiar song entered your mind. It was a sacred tradition of yours to sing this song at the same time every night before you went to bed, and ever since you left your original home, singing this particular song was paramount because it reminded you of your brother and sister as well as your mother. Clearing your throat as you held Phoibe’s hand in your gloved one, you brushed a strand of ebony hair away from the little girl’s face before you began the song. Though the song was pretty short, the effects of Morpheus whisking Phoibe away to the her sweetest dreams were evident as she yawned one last time, closed her eyes, and curled up tightly under the tattered blanket. Watching her chest rise and fall slowly as she remained in the fetal position, you smiled as you looked to Kassandra, who was smiling back at you and Phoibe during that tender scene, before you kissed the girl’s forehead and bid her goodnight. 

Walking over to where Kassandra was sitting on the floor, you both braced your backs against the wall and sat cross-legged together so you could stare at Phoibe as she slept peacefully before you remarked, “She’s such a sweet girl. Looking at her reminds me of my little sister when my brother and I used to sing together with her at the same time every night before we went to sleep.” 

“While Phoibe can be stubborn and annoying every once in a while, I wouldn’t have it any other way because she’s such a sweet kid.” Kassandra answered back with a soft smile that didn’t go unnoticed by you before she flexed her arms forward to stretch them out after hours of sitting on the floor to eat before she turned to you, taking her time in formulating a question for you to answer, “(Name), can I ask you something?”

“I don’t see why not, so you may proceed and I’ll answer it honestly.” 

“Where do you live on Kephallonia? I noticed you didn’t have anything with you to make a campsite and you don’t have a home like mine to go back to.” Kassandra explained as she awaited your answer before you finished the bite of fruit and sip of water you had left of your meal to give a reply, “I camp out in tree branches so the wolves below don’t eat me. It’s not like I’m any other mercenary that has a tamed animal or another companion around to protect me as I sleep.” 

“So you don’t have a home?” 

“As of now, no, I don’t. But it’s perfectly fine because I’m used to it.” You shrugged your living situation off a little as Kassandra looked at you with sympathy over the shared fact that you and her didn’t have a real home aside from Kephallonia now among yourselves and Phoibe. But after giving your situation some thought, Kassandra thought she came up with a good solution to it as she presented it to you, “Then, why don’t you come live here with me? I already have Phoibe here, so I don’t see why I couldn’t have another person stay here.” 

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be because Phoibe and I like you and if I know her, I know she’d love to have you here because I want you here.” Kassandra explained her reasoning as you asked, “You do?” Giving a small nod to you, you turned your gaze to where Phoibe was sleeping again as Kassandra watched your reaction and awaited a response of whether you’d be living with her and Phoibe or not. Shaking your head with a grin as you sniffled and wiped stray tears from your eyes with your gloved hands, you turned to Kassandra with eyes never losing focus on her golden brown orbs before you admitted, “You know, ever since I came to Kephallonia, I have never been shown any kindness other than promises of drachmae for hunting down bandits and those who work for the Cyclops. And now, today, I get a hero’s welcome from the dock merchants and offer to live with you and Phoibe...It’s more than I ever could’ve asked for as a mercenary.” 

“Well, it’s like you said, Athena’s Champion. I want to help a fellow man like you helped me, and this seems to be right to me since you have no home and Phoibe looks up to you too.” 

“Alright, Eagle Bearer, then I’ll stay.” You replied as you shook hands with Kassandra while sitting on the floor together before the female mistios offered to fetch some blankets and a bedroll for you and her since it was getting late and it was high time you both went to bed. Nodding in agreement, you took the blanket and bedroll that Kassandra handed you and set the area up for yourself before you bid Kassandra goodnight and curled up into a ball under your tattered blanket. At the same time, Kassandra stayed up just a little while longer to watch you and Phoibe as her two girls slept before her eyes focused solely on you. 

There was so much kindness and mystery in you that it made you more beautiful and exotic to her. Something about having you stay with her in her home felt right because you were not like other mercenaries that she encountered on Kephallonia. You protected Phoibe, a little girl, before saving yourself from an arrow barrage. You gave all stolen drachmae and belongings back to their rightful owners without taking a little bit for yourself. You became a mistios for more honorable reasons, not for drachmae. You paid for food that strangers could not pay for all because you felt like helping your fellow man. That made you not like most mercenaries. But then again, you might not have always been a mistios, just like Kassandra was a former high class citizen of Sparta and direct descendant of Leonidas before she was found by Markos on Kephallonia as a child after her boat crashed during a storm. So maybe you had a past that you either left behind voluntarily or a past that you had to escape from because of its festering pain. After all, you were rumored to be Athenian and seemed well-educated enough to confirm the theory, but you also mentioned having siblings several time without revealing their names and their status of living or dead or your true identity. You also hesitated in your answer in where you were from before you came to Kephallonia. You said Megaris but you paused for too long, as if you were thinking of what to say on the fly. But it didn’t matter to Kassandra who you were or where you came from, in spite of her curiosity about you. You had always shown her and Phoibe nothing but kindness with no strings attached and for the most part, you seemed honest about everything aside from your identity. But then again, most mercenaries hid their true identities or over-exaggerated stories to make themselves seem more fearful so they’d get paid more. Nevertheless, Kassandra was more than happy to welcome you into her home and in return, you were more than grateful for her offer of giving you a home and second family. Every drachmae earned by you went into helping yourself and your two new friends survive, and in return, Phoibe got a new role model and Kassandra got a new companion to trust. You thought contracts on Kephallonia would lead to nothing aside from drachmae and the pleasure of ridding the island of corruption from poor leadership. Instead, two new friends entered your life and gave it meaning, reminding you of your previous life with your siblings before tragedy struck your home. Fate had something in store for you, and after much contemplation and prayer, it only became clear that Phoibe and Kassandra were to be a part of your odyssey, which you wouldn’t complain about since they were the best thing that ever happened to you in a long while.


	14. Eagle Bearer x Fem! Mistios! Reader - The Spartan & The Athenian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Here’s a third oneshot for Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey since I recently finished the main story. Please enjoy and if you want to leave comments, likes, or kudos, you may do so.

Alexios Version

Ever since you had moved in with Alexios and Phoibe on Kephallonia, life got much better for the three of you. Of course, Markos was glad to have another mistios in his presence even though you didn’t directly answer to or work for the eccentric man. After all, you owed your drachmae and your life to Alexios. Regardless, Markos was very polite to you and welcomed you into Kephallonia as a friend of his, which made Alexios and Phoibe happy since you were now officially one of them. For about a year, you continued to hunt down bandits who worked for the Cyclops as contracts kept pouring in on message boards all over Kephallonia while Alexios continued to do contracts for fellow civilians and for Markos. But what made each day of fulfilling contracts and earning drachmae worth it, in spite of the adrenaline of nearly dying, was when you, Phoibe, and Alexios would sit down together like a family for a meal, no matter how small. You even enjoyed the moments when you would kiss Phoibe’s forehead and lull her to sleep with the lullaby you always sung before you went to sleep, as you could not get a wink of rest yourself without hearing its performance come from your own lips. Just doing this menial task common to many Grecian households between women and children reminded you of your old home when you were with your siblings, which is why you had no trouble doing it every night for the girl. But out of the corner of your eye, you noticed that Alexios too would seem to gaze at you longer than normal with a smile ever-present on his face and a pleasant twinkle in his eyes, especially when you were like a mother or big sister towards Phoibe, when you were nice to civilians (specifically young children), and whenever you sang that particular lullaby at night before you went to bed. But you too found yourself growing more fond of the male mistios with every passing day as you stared longer at him whenever you believed his back was turned, especially when you saw his own kind interactions with civilians or whenever you caught him humming while he was cleaning his weapon. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before you both caught onto the fact that Phoibe noticed you two were in love as she asked about it during one of your many meals together, causing you and Alexios to nearly choke. Without ever officially confirming or denying the attraction to Phoibe after recovering from the impact of the shock, it was evident that there was a bond. 

As many more months passed by since you first met each other, a year had fully elapsed and it was very evident that you and Alexios were in love with each other. If holding hands only when Phoibe was present, sharing a bed together at night in front of the hearth, and exchanging many passionate kisses in private whenever Phoibe was doing errands for Markos wasn’t evidence of that bond, then you and him didn’t know what would be. It was so obvious for anyone who would’ve paid attention. Even Ikaros knew you two were in love and spent plenty of time getting to know you better as he constantly jumped on your arms, accepted meat from your hands, and even let you pet his head. Overall, the courtship you had with Alexios was a fast-paced but altogether romantic one since he was a big softie behind that tough exterior. You trusted him and he trusted you, so companionship came naturally to you both. Even when you both believed that love would never be possible for two mercenaries, that you both were unworthy of a normal life with family and friends, having each other changed all that. That companionship was very evident on one summer night as Alexios took you to a special, secret spot that only he knew about and that he discovered during one of his contracts. 

Waiting until after Phoibe fell asleep with your lullaby in her usual spot on the roof, you and Alexios created a new tradition among lovers. Rather than camp out on the roof as well to watch the stars on this warm night,   
you and Alexios snuck out as you both took the road on foot, you giggling like a mischievous schoolgirl with each step as Alexios gave his own chuckles towards how cute you were to him. Eventually, Alexios snuck up behind you as he put his callused hands over your eyes before you asked him, “Where are we?” 

“A very special and secret place that I found during one of my contracts. But you have to have your eyes closed. It’s a surprise.”

“Well, with your big hands over my face, I doubt I’d be able to see anything for miles, even if I could see the world through Ikaros’s eyes like you.” You joked with a chuckle as Alexios mirrored your chuckles with his own before he walked you forward as slowly as possible to avoid injury to you. As the sound of rushing water was noticed by your perceptive ears, you also heard Ikaros’s cries from a nearby tree branch that bounced back with a crack as you felt wet grass beneath your feet, in spite of you wearing sandals with leg guards. All at once, Alexios took his hands off your eyes as he stepped back and let you take in the sights of the oasis before you gasped with wide eyes and a bright smile. A shallow lake with a tiny rushing waterfall surrounded by vast green vegetation, wildflowers, and a perfect night sky above was in your focused gaze, and it was absolutely beautiful. Never in your life had you seen a place so beautiful, not even in your former life as an Athenian citizen. So to see something as beautiful as Elysium or Olympus in front of your very eyes, it was a true blessing from the gods that they brought you Alexios to show you such otherworldly beauty within nature. Turning around to give a proper hug to Alexios, you buried your head into his neck so you could tangle your hands in his hair while he hugged you back before you whispered in his ear, “I’ve never seen anywhere that was this beautiful before in my life, so I feel honored to be here with you, Alexios. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my love.” Alexios responded back with a playful smirk as he exchanged a passionate kiss with you and wrapped his large arms around your waist before you both went down to the shallow end of the lake. Taking off your hooded, knee-length chiton, weapons, shoes, and armor, you made sure you were only in your underclothes before you sat down on a stone overlooking the water. Dipping your feet in, your warm feet felt like they had been encased in ice before they slowly turned back to a normal temperature as you sighed in relief with your eyes closed and your head leaned back. Taking off all his armor, weapons, and shoes so he was only in his underclothes as well, Alexios joined you on the edge of the lake as he dipped his feet into the water too and put a gentle arm around your shoulders. Sitting on the rock as your feet swayed in the water, you and Alexios took to playing a game of footsie that caused a lot of giggles before your beloved mistios lover stood up to swan dive into the water while you clapped on the shore and he took a dramatic bow once he reemerged to the surface again. Then, taking your time to stand up and get into proper position, you swan-dived into the water as well while Alexios clapped for you as he remarked on how beautiful and graceful you looked before he swam menacingly towards you like a shark to a fish. After diving under the water to come close to you, giggles escaped your throat as you noticed his head pop out of the water in front of you before his large muscles grabbed you up and pulled you under the water with him as a playful roar echoed throughout the lake and he nearly bit your neck during the childish struggle. With a small gasp followed by a fit of giggles after you both submerged and reemerged from underwater, you and Alexios began to splash water at each other like siblings before you swam to each other, an embrace among mercenary lovers in order after playful moments together that reminded you both of childhoods where things were much simpler. With his arms embracing you as tight as he could so he would never let you go, Alexios pressed a gentle kiss against your temple, which had been scraped in the arrow incident a year prior with him and Phoibe but had now healed altogether except for a minor scar close to the corner of your eye no bigger than one-fourth of a toothpick, before he moved his kisses to your muscled shoulders, earning a soft sigh and even a low moan from you. In return, you maneuvered your own toned arms under the bulging biceps that you called home before you leaned up to see your lover’s face as you laughed at his antics and his scratchy stubble, smiling sweetly as you moved your hands to cup Alexios’s cheeks before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. Reciprocating your kiss with his own, Alexios tightened his arms around your shoulders while you moved one hand down to touch your man’s muscled chest, which rippled and trembled under your gentle touch, and the other hand up to tangle them in his soft, shoulder-length hair, which had almost every lock decorated with many gold beads, earning a moan from your man during the kiss. Letting go of the kiss to breathe, you and Alexios stared into each other’s eyes as the moonbeams of Artemis shined down upon you two while you swam in the lake. Diving under the water every once in a while to cool off on this warm, summer night as you both swam out further close to the waterfall, you and Alexios eventually were close together again as you both drifted right next to each other. Then, looking to you with the eyes of a man in love, you gave a similar gaze back to Alexios before you both exchanged a quick smooch. 

After swimming around for a few more moments, you and Alexios stopped in the middle of the lake as the man seemed to be deep in thought before he asked you, “How are you liking this secret place?” 

“Alexios, it’s beautiful, but I like this place better because you’re here with me. I couldn’t ask for anything better. But why come here tonight?”

“I thought we should get away from the house and be alone since we don’t often get that luxury as mercenaries.” 

“True.” You nodded in agreement as Alexios paddled closer to you before you noticed something was off about your lover, which prompted you to investigate, “Something on your mind?” 

“Yeah...It’s just, I’ve known you for a year but we barely know anything about each other. So I thought we could...maybe present theories or rumors about each other and we either confirm or deny them. That doesn’t sound too weird, does it?” Alexios offered up before you shook your head, “No, it’s an excellent idea. I’ll do it if you do it too...Okay, me first. You are a former Spartan citizen.”

“Confirm...I was a former citizen and grandson of King Leonidas living with my parents until a priest threw my little sister Kassandra off Mount Taygetos because of a prophecy from the Pythia, which said my sister would destroy Sparta. I tried to save her, but I ended up pushing the priest and my sister off the cliff. I was labeled a traitor and my father threw me off the mountain too. But I survived and made my way here by boat until Markos found me in the wreckage.” 

“Alexios, I...I don’t know what to say except that I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay, (Name); it’s not a big deal. But I appreciate the sentiment all the same.” 

“Of course.” You replied as you hugged Alexios to your tall, lithe figure in order to show him how much you cared for him while he buried his head in your neck. After a few moments of embracing, you and Alexios parted as the man kissed your cheek in gratitude before he came up with his own question to ask you, “You were from Megaris.”

“Confirm and deny...I traveled there from my original home and met four Spartan soldiers as they were dining in their camp. They took me in and trained me in combat as if I was a Spartan woman because I reminded many of them of their own wives and daughters as they were all married. But they also offered me protection from bandits and other enemies if I would hunt and fish for them in exchange...But Megaris was not my original home, just as Kephallonia was not always your home or Phoibe’s.” You answered as Alexios drank in every detail that you fed to him before you gave him an accusation to either confirm or deny, “You got the scars on your bicep from another mercenary or a wild animal.” 

“I was hunting a mercenary once on Kephallonia who traveled with a lion as a tamed companion...The Cyclops put a bounty on my head for not paying him on time and for setting some of his supplies on fire, so he paid a mercenary to hunt me...One thing led to another and that lion scratched my arm during the fight.” Alexios replied as you ran your hand along each red line that laced his tanned bicep with a saddened expression before the man presented his last question to you, “You are Athenian.”

“Confirm...” You nodded as silence welcomed your once outspoken voice like a friend before Alexios quickly took notice of the change in your mood. Putting his arms around your entire body, the man gave you a quick kiss to your head as you smiled at his gesture before you sighed, “Alexios, I...I have to tell you something because I want to be honest with you, but I don’t want you to think that I kept things from you on purpose.”

“Mercenaries sometimes hide their identities, so it’s nothing new if you did the same. But every mistios has their reasons, and I believe yours were more personal.”

“I admit I did keep my true identity a secret, so I’ll start with telling you my real name.”

“And what would that be?” 

“(True Name).” 

“(True Name)...” Alexios repeated as he committed the new name to memory before he smiled at the beauty and diction of your true name while you nodded, “Yes, I am (True Name) of Athens.” 

“Who were you before you became a mercenary?”

“I was a high-born citizen like you. My father Antenor was the leader of an Athenian city state, my mother Ephigenia was a former Pythia until she became a wife and mother, and my older brother Zale was a great Athenian military leader for the navy.” You orated as you swam to the nearest rock to recline your stomach and arms upon while Alexios followed you to mimic your movements before he continued to ask questions, “What about you and your sister?” 

“My little sister Krysanthe was always the better sister when it came to being an Athenian woman of the household, a magistrate, or a priestess. But me...Phoibe reminds me of myself when I was a girl...Though many adults thought I was sweet, I was actually a stubborn, rambunctious little thing who used to always sneak out of my bedroom at night after days of lessons on how to be a lady so my brother could train me on how to fight. He always knew I had more Spartan personality than Athenian, which was more my baby sister, so he treated me as such.” 

“So if you had such a happy life with your family, why did you run away to Megaris and Kephallonia? Unless...” Alexios paused as he noticed the subtle thousand-yard stare you gave, a telling gaze that focused itself on the night sky above to stare at the stars before you turned back to your beloved while he contemplated aloud, “You never wanted to leave your home, but you had to, didn’t you?” Giving a small nod with a glance that clued Alexios in on all he needed to know, the man could tell that you were telling the truth as he looked at you with sympathy before you sighed deeply while another explanation left your lips, “Alexios, you’ve earned my trust, so I’ll tell you my story. But you have to promise not to tell anyone.” 

“And who would I tell? Most people wanna kill me.” Alexios joked with a chuckle as you laughed into your palm, “Fair enough.” Then, taking a deep breath to compose yourself, you looked to your lover as he reclined his chin on his forearms while you twirled a beaded strand of Alexios’s brown hair in your hand before the man brushed a wet strand of dark brown-black hair away from your eyes as he asked, “I want to take a guess but I also want you to confirm or deny this accusation I have about you...Someone or something is after you.” 

“Confirm...” You sighed as pained orbs of (Eye Color) stared into the golden brown orbs of your beloved mistios before you began the tale of your odyssey, “My family and I had a happy life together in Athens with every privilege and luxury afforded to us because of my mother’s former servitude as the Pythia and my father’s position as the leader of an Athenian city state...However, the Fates never meant for it to last.” 

Pausing for a moment to make sure you could continue, you looked to Alexios with solemn eyes before your lover pressed his forehead against yours as a means of comforting you by letting you know he was here for you while he massaged your biceps in his callused hands and asked, “What happened?” 

“Mater’s death was considered a dishonorable one, so she was never given a proper burial by Pater, which made me and my siblings lose all respect and love for him...It was considered a bad omen to the family because she hung herself, and me, Zale, and Krysanthe never knew why. We figured Pater knew something and didn’t tell us because it was a secret that wasn’t supposed to get out, not because he was protecting us from the pain of her death...All we learned from it was the letter she left behind near her body, but it was ambiguous as it was strange.”

“What did it say?”

“It said ‘The Eyes see all.’ But what she meant by that, my siblings and I could never decipher...And to make matters worse, a couple weeks after her passing, a mysterious cult targeted our family because of our father’s leadership position as the diplomat of the Athenian city state, which he ran right into the ground.” 

“What kind of cult?”

“Men and women from all across the Greek world who wanted to oppress the innocent and fulfill every greedy vice they had. They wanted to use my father as a tool of helping them oppress people, so they offered him a choice: Stand with them and keep his power or stand against them and everyone within our city state, including us, would suffer for his choice...We had the armies and the resources to fight back. My brother was an expert strategist, my sister had many contacts from all over the Greek world who would ally with us, and I could’ve snuck into any base and took out any member of the cult that I wanted to...But our father refused. Instead, he handed the city state to the cult on a silver plate, which caused more resentment between him and us...He showed no sadness when Mater died and when he gave his city state over, he confirmed that he did it to keep his title and not to protect us or the people. He also told us that if we didn’t like things the way they were, then we would have to suck it up.” 

“Your own father screwed you over. I know what that’s like.”

“We tried to argue with him on his decision with diplomacy and fighting words, but he didn’t take heed. And the more we argued with him, the more angry he became with us and we became bitter towards him...At one point during their many arguments, my brother wished our father to go to Hades or Tartarus for his actions while our mother would be allowed to come back to life and be with us again. Our father, on the other hand, wished he had never had the three of us because we constantly debated him rather than be obediently meek.” You explained yourself as Alexios shook his head in disbelief that your own father would do this to you and your siblings before your story continued, “But my sister and I overheard other members of this cult talking and it changed us forever.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Around the same time that our father and brother were arguing, Pater told Zale that he had already done what needed to be done. When my brother asked our father what he had done, he told them that he had given Krysanthe and I to the cult in order to ensure that they wouldn’t backstab him later...Upon further inspection and eavesdropping, my sister and I learned of our father’s plans.” 

“And what were they?”

“Because I had a Spartan warrior’s spirit despite my status as an Athenian female, I was to be taken to a member of this cult to be tortured and made into a mercenary who would kill whoever they wanted me to.”

“And Krysanthe?”

“She was to be a companion to the cult’s greatest champion, their strongest warrior that was tortured as a child in order to make them inflict pain and feel pain without hesitation. In this way, she would be used as a means of controlling the champion’s behavior. For example, if the champion did as the cult wished, they got to spend more time with my sister...Maybe they would’ve made her the Pythia, a priestess, or some other woman in power to help their cause for all we knew.” 

“And the moment this champion gets disobedient, Krysanthe would be taken away until the champion stepped back in line, right?” Alexios questioned to confirm that he understood the situation correctly before you nodded, “Right.” 

“But how did you get to Megaris or Kephallonia if this cult wanted to take you and your sister away from Athens and separate you?” 

“After overhearing those two cult members talking about me and Krysanthe, we tried to come up with a plan since the guards that worked for this wicked group were coming to get us that night while Zale argued with our father. Krysanthe was taking a large risk with her plan, but she was smart enough to realize that it would prevent a fate of torture for me and allow me and Zale a better chance of fighting back against the cult.” You explained before Alexios squinted his eyes while biting his bottom lip as he continued to interrogate you, “And, what was her plan?” 

“She was willing to go alone to the cult to be the companion of this champion as a sacrifice while I escaped our home alone. I tried to get her to come with me because I didn’t want to leave her and I wanted to protect her because she was my baby sister...But she knew that she wouldn’t survive in the wilderness for even a day since she never retained my brother’s combat teachings aside from archery. And as with all of her strategies, I knew she was right. I didn’t want her to be right, but her plan was the only one that would give us better success of defeating the enemy. So, I hugged her for the last time and we parted ways, but I vowed to find our brother once it was safe, rescue her from the cult, and then defeat every member who was involved in destroying our family.” You clarified for your lover as he continued to watch for your reactions while he grabbed your hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of your palm close to your knuckles before you took a pause so you could breathe in enough air to continue your story, “After I left my sister behind, I grabbed my shield and spear since my brother had them custom-designed for me, but I also stole some of my father’s money from the chest he had in his bedroom out of spite. Then, I changed clothes so I would look more like a mercenary and I cut my hair so I wouldn’t be easily recognized...I snuck away to the docks without the guards catching me, where I found a pirate captain getting repairs done for their ship before they were sailing off into open water that night. I paid them a portion of the drachmae I stole to get safe passage out of Athens, and the captain welcomed me aboard as one of her crew once she saw I knew how to use weapons and fish.”

“And let me guess, they dropped you off in Megaris?”

“Yes, but I spent a lot of time sailing with them as a crew member and living on their island base of Keos. Eventually, I confided in the captain since she was the only other female aboard the ship and she remarked that she helped me because she had given safe passage to a Spartan woman who was being hunted by a similar organization...This pirate captain I befriended, she was sad when I left in Megaris, but she never regretted her choice to help me because she hated injustices on the innocent, especially from the cult who targeted me and the Spartan woman or from slave traders.” 

“And after you got to Megaris?” Alexios urged on as you complied with his polite request, “When I first met these four Spartan soldiers in Megaris, they had just set up camp, so they were all having a meal and singing war songs. They knew right away that I was Athenian the moment I came into their camp, but it didn’t matter to any of us...They let me eat with them and sing some war songs, but they also wanted to know why I was there. By this point, I had already developed my identity as a mercenary known as Athena’s Champion to protect myself, so I used the new alias and they believed me. They also allowed me to stay in the camp with them for protection from wild animals and bandits if I would hunt and fish for them to provide fresh food so they wouldn’t have to use their rations.”

“Did any of these people train you to fight while you were with them?”

“The pirate captain and those soldiers expanded on my brother’s training. On the sea, I was taught how to be a real sailor on a real ship rather than on a little fishing boat and on the land, I was taught to be light on my feet and firm in holding my ground so I wouldn’t get knocked down in a fight.” 

“And did the Spartans miss you?”

“They were sad to see me go too because I reminded many of them of their wives and daughters and how strong of warriors they were. But they knew what my core values were and they knew the first contract to Kephallonia was a way for me to satisfy my need to stop corruption wherever I could, so they let me go.” 

“Did the pirate or the Spartans ever know about your past life as an Athenian?” Alexios asked you as Ikaros perched on the rock in front of you and your beloved with a sharp cry before you shook your head, “No, only you know about my past because I know I can trust you. If I said anything, it had many details missing or if details were mentioned, then they changed as I saw fit to protect my identity to avoid being persecuted.” 

“So I was right; someone is after you...That’s why you changed your name and your appearance but also why you became a mercenary. It’s the perfect way to hide from your past.” Alexios mused on this subject aloud as hypervigilance guided your every glance and move towards your lover’s reactions before you sighed as tears threatened to rob you of your sight and your sanity, “I fear for the life of my siblings because I haven’t heard from or seen them in years since I was a teenager, and I don’t want the cult that separated us to hurt them through acts of war or by torturing my sister, who is now their prisoner...But I made a vow to find them and take down the cult for destroying our home and our family, so I’ve been training under many mentors and friends for many years to get to this level of mastery as a mercenary.” 

“So you plan to leave Kephallonia to find Krysanthe and Zale?” Alexios asked as you nodded, “Yes.”

“How would you know if you found them? I doubt they’d look the same as they did when you were kids.”

“We weren’t that young when we separated from each other since Zale was already fully grown and I was a teenager while my sister was only five years younger than me. So they would still be recognizable to me...However, there’s another thing in common that we share.” 

“And what would that be?” 

“That song I sing you and Phoibe so we all can sleep...That lullaby was one our mom sang for us before she died, and since her passing, all three of us would sing it to each other at the same time each night or else we couldn’t sleep. Even when my brother was a grown man in the Athenian Navy, he never once stopped singing it for us whenever he was back at home. It’s a tradition we held in our family for as long as I could remember.” You explained as Alexios rested his cheek in his callused palm, which was leaning against the rock to support his elbow, with a small smile at the traditions of your household between you, your siblings, and your mother before you continued, “But they would recognize the shield and spear since I was the only one who ever used it.” 

“You’ll find them, (True Name). They’ll see their sister again.” 

“I feel as though I failed them.” You sighed sadly as tears threatened to pour out of your eyes, which was a rare occurrence considering you rarely ever cried. Crying wasn’t weakness to you, but as a mercenary, you had conditioned yourself to not show pain or fear. But ever since you met Alexios and opened yourself up to him about your past, it made you more vulnerable and susceptible to emotion. However, the brunette didn’t care if you were crying because he soon wrapped his arms around you as wet, callused palms combed through your brown-black hair and a tender kiss was pressed against your head, resting his forehead against yours as he remarked, “You haven’t failed them because you’re getting stronger until one day, you’ll have the strength of a demigod and then nothing will be able to stop you. You are a good person and you will defeat the ones who destroyed your family.” 

“You’re right, I can’t give up hope yet. Not when I’ve come this far...” You remarked back as you smiled through your tears before you kissed Alexios’s stubbled cheek, “Thanks, my love. You’ve inspired me and helped me quell my doubts.” Nodding back to you as a means of showing that he was happy to help, you and Alexios shared a tender kiss as the man picked you up in his arms while water sloshed all around the two of you before the man broke the kiss so you both could breathe. Then, gazing into your (Eye Color) eyes, Alexios’s golden brown irises seemed to look upon your very soul as another question came to mind, “But your father, he’s an ally to the ones who destroyed your family and your home. So if you were given the chance to kill him for either a contract or to save your siblings, would you do it?”

“He’s already made his choices and he’ll never change. He never changed when we were around, so what makes me or my siblings think he’ll change now? There’s not one shred of guilty conscience in him because he has no remorse. So yes, to protect my people and my family, including you and Phoibe, I would send him to Hades a thousand times over.” You huffed under your breath while gripping your hands behind your beloved’s neck as Alexios continued to hold you in his arms while he nodded, understanding of where you were coming from and why you would make a choice such as that. After hearing how his father and yours were similar, Alexios wouldn’t be surprised if he too took the same path of killing someone for their past transgressions. You certainly were a forgiving individual when it came to loved ones, but when it came to those who intentionally brought corruption, then there was no mercy from you unless the offender was forced to hurt others because of the threats of someone else higher in power. Alexios knew that much. But to hear that your beautiful childhood was ripped away from you in one night all because of the actions of your father and the heroic sacrifice of your little sister, it brought pain to Alexios’s heart as he could feel your pain too. He knew what it was like to lose a little sibling, and the pain of that was beyond comprehension or empathy unless one had a sibling. Sensing Alexios’s somberness towards your story, you tried to lighten the mood as you held out hope for the future, “We’re gonna be okay, you, me and Phoibe...And one day, I’m gonna find my siblings and we can make an even bigger family than I already have with you, Ikaros, and Phoibe.” 

“I’d like nothing more than to meet the brother and sister of my beloved. I love you, Athena’s Champion.” 

“I love you too, Eagle Bearer.” You whispered to your man as you and him kissed one last time in the water as the lake created translucent beads across tanned skin that was typical of two mercenaries, despite being high-class Spartan and Athenian citizens by birth. After the last kiss, Alexios suggested that the two of you get home as he helped you out of the water by grabbing your hands before you both got dressed again in your armor and other clothes. Once you both made sure you had everything, you and Alexios took your time walking back to the home you made for yourselves in Kephallonia before the man lifted you up bridal style with a low belly laugh as you slapped his scarred bicep with a hushed chuckle to avoid waking up Phoibe, who was fast asleep in her usual spot on the roof. After a few moments of playing around like lovesick fools, you and Alexios joined Phoibe on the roof as you both watched over her sleeping frame, cuddling up together under a warm blanket to ward off the chill from swimming in the lake on a warm summer night. Wrapped in Alexios’s biceps so that your head was buried in his neck and his cheek was against your forehead, the man planted one last kiss on your lips before Morpheus whisked you both off to dream about the future ahead. The Fates had led you to the pirate captain who was a gods-send that got you out of Athens. The Fates had allowed you safe passage across the Greek world until you made it to Megaris, where four Spartan soldiers befriended you and trained you. And now, the Fates had led you to Kephallonia and put you in the path of Alexios and Phoibe, two individuals you considered as adoptive little sister and romantic partner. You didn’t know where your siblings were or even if they were alive, but something in you told you that hope and faith was needed. You had yet to see if your prayers had been answered as to the wellbeing of Krysanthe and Zale, but a gut feeling told you that they were both alive and holding out hope that you would come back for them. Only time would tell as a new odyssey was about to begin, but this time, with your new family, an eagle-bearing mistios and an little girl. 

———————————————- 

Kassandra Version

Ever since you had moved in with Kassandra and Phoibe on Kephallonia, life got much better for the three of you. Of course, Markos was glad to have another mistios in his presence even though you didn’t directly answer to or work for the eccentric man. After all, you owed your drachmae and your life to Kassandra. Regardless, Markos was very polite to you and welcomed you into Kephallonia as a friend of his, which made Kassandra and Phoibe happy since you were now officially one of them. For about a year, you continued to hunt down bandits who worked for the Cyclops as contracts kept pouring in on message boards all over Kephallonia while Kassandra continued to do contracts for fellow civilians and for Markos. But what made each day of fulfilling contracts and earning drachmae worth it, in spite of the adrenaline of nearly dying, was when you, Phoibe, and Kassandra would sit down together like a family for a meal, no matter how small. You even enjoyed the moments when you would kiss Phoibe’s forehead and lull her to sleep with the lullaby you always sung before you went to sleep, as you could not get a wink of rest yourself without hearing its performance come from your own lips. Just doing this menial task common to many Grecian households between women and children reminded you of your old home when you were with your siblings, which is why you had no trouble doing it every night for the girl. But out of the corner of your eye, you noticed that Kassandra would always smile at you with a little twinkle in her golden brown eyes a little bit longer than usual, especially when you were like a mother or big sister towards Phoibe, when you were nice to civilians (specifically young children), and whenever you sang that particular lullaby at night before you went to bed. But you too found yourself growing more fond of the female mistios with every passing day as you smiled at her whenever you believed her back was turned, especially when you saw her own kind interactions with civilians or whenever you caught her humming while she was cleaning her weapon. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before you both caught onto the fact that Phoibe noticed you two were best friends as she asked about it during one of your many meals together. Without ever officially confirming or denying the attraction to Phoibe after recovering from the impact of the shock, it was evident that there was a bond. 

As many more months passed by since you first met each other, a year had fully elapsed and it was very evident that you and Kassandra were the best of friends. If spending almost every day together and exchanging tender hugs in greeting towards each other wasn’t evidence of that bond, then you and her didn’t know what would be. It was so obvious for anyone who would’ve paid attention. Even Ikaros knew you two were friends and spent plenty of time getting to know you better as he constantly jumped on your arms, accepted meat from your hands, and even let you pet his head. Overall, the friendship you had with Kassandra was a fast-paced but altogether genuine one since she was a big softie behind that tough exterior. You trusted her and she trusted you, so companionship came naturally to you both. Even when you both believed that friendship would never be possible for two mercenaries, that you both were unworthy of a normal life with family and friends, having each other changed all that. That companionship was very evident on one summer night as Kassandra took you to a special, secret spot that only she knew about and that she discovered during one of her contracts. 

Waiting until after Phoibe fell asleep with your lullaby in her usual spot on the roof, you and Kassandra created a new tradition among best friends. Rather than camp out on the roof as well to watch the stars on this warm night, you and Kassandra snuck out as you both took the road on foot, you giggling like a mischievous schoolgirl with each step as Kassandra gave her own chuckles towards how cute you were to her. Eventually, Kassandra snuck up behind you as she put her callused hands over your eyes before you asked the brunette, “Where are we?” 

“A very special and secret place that I found during one of my contracts. But you have to have your eyes closed. It’s a surprise.”

“Well, with your big hands over my face, I doubt I’d be able to see anything for miles, even if I could see the world through Ikaros’s eyes like you.” You joked with a chuckle as Kassandra mirrored your chuckles with her own before she walked you forward as slowly as possible to avoid injury to you. As the sound of rushing water was noticed by your perceptive ears, you also heard Ikaros’s cries from a nearby tree branch that bounced back with a crack as you felt wet grass beneath your feet, in spite of you wearing sandals with leg guards. All at once, Kassandra took her hands off your eyes as she stepped back and let you take in the sights of the oasis before you gasped with wide eyes and a bright smile. A shallow lake with a tiny rushing waterfall surrounded by vast green vegetation, wildflowers, and a perfect night sky above was in your focused gaze, and it was absolutely beautiful. Never in your life had you seen a place so beautiful, not even in your former life as an Athenian citizen. So to see something as beautiful as Elysium or Olympus in front of your very eyes, it was a true blessing from the gods that they brought you Kassandra to show you such otherworldly beauty within nature. Turning around to give a proper hug to Kassandra, you buried your head into her neck so you could wrap your arms around her shoulders while she hugged you back before you whispered in her ear, “I’ve never seen anywhere that was this beautiful before in my life, so I feel honored to be here with you, Kassandra. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my friend.” Kassandra responded back with a playful smirk as she returned your embrace with her large arms around your waist before you both went down to the shallow end of the lake. Taking off your hooded, knee-length chiton, weapons, shoes, and armor, you made sure you were only in your underclothes before you sat down on a stone overlooking the water. Dipping your feet in, your warm feet felt like they had been encased in ice before they slowly turned back to a normal temperature as you sighed in relief with your eyes closed and your head leaned back. Taking off all her armor, weapons, and shoes so she was only in her underclothes as well, Kassandra joined you on the edge of the lake as she dipped her feet into the water too and occasionally nudged your bicep with her own bicep, which made you nudge her back playfully. Sitting on the rock as your feet swayed in the water, you and Kassandra took to playing a game of footsie that caused a lot of giggles before your beloved mistios friend stood up to swan dive into the water while you clapped on the shore and she took a dramatic bow once she reemerged to the surface again. Then, taking your time to stand up and get into proper position, you swan-dived into the water as well while Kassandra clapped for you as she remarked on how beautiful and graceful you looked before she swam menacingly towards you like a shark to a fish. After diving under the water to come close to you, giggles escaped your throat as you noticed her head pop out of the water in front of you before her muscled biceps grabbed you up and pulled you under the water with her as a playful roar echoed throughout the lake. With a small gasp followed by a fit of giggles after you both submerged and reemerged from underwater, you and Kassandra began to splash water at each other like siblings before you swam to each other, an embrace among mercenary friends in order after playful moments together that reminded you both of childhoods where things were much simpler. Eventually, Kassandra noticed the scar you had received from the arrow incident with Phoibe, which had now healed altogether except for a small section close to the corner of your eye, and rested her cheek against it as a way to comfort herself with the knowledge that you weren’t killed by the injury. In return, you maneuvered your own toned arms under the biceps that you called home before you leaned up to see your friend’s face as you smiled at her and she smiled back at you. As the moonbeams of Artemis shined down upon you two while you swam in the lake, golden brown irises and irises of (Eye Color) stared into each other’s souls. Diving under the water every once in a while to cool off on this warm, summer night as you both swam out further close to the waterfall, you and Kassandra eventually were close together again as you both drifted right next to each other. Then, looking to you with the eyes of a woman who finally had a best friend in her own age group, you gave a similar gaze back to Kassandra before you both exchanged a quick bump of your unarmored fists. 

After swimming around for a few more moments, you and Kassandra stopped in the middle of the lake as the woman seemed to be deep in thought before she asked you, “How are you liking this secret place?” 

“Kassandra, it’s beautiful, but I like this place better because you’re here with me. I couldn’t ask for anything better. But why come here tonight?”

“I thought we should get away from the house and be alone since we don’t often get that luxury as mercenaries.” 

“True.” You nodded in agreement as Kassandra paddled closer to you before you noticed something was off about your friend, which prompted you to investigate, “Something on your mind?” 

“Yeah...It’s just, I’ve known you for a year but we barely know anything about each other. So I thought we could...maybe present theories or rumors about each other and we either confirm or deny them. That doesn’t sound too weird, does it?” Kassandra offered up before you shook your head, “No, it’s an excellent idea. I’ll do it if you do it too...Okay, me first. You are a former Spartan citizen.” 

“Confirm...I was a former citizen and grandson of King Leonidas living with my parents until a priest threw my little brother Alexios off Mount Taygetos because of a prophecy from the Pythia, which said my brother would destroy Sparta. I tried to save him, but I ended up pushing the priest and my brother off the cliff. I was labeled a traitor and my father threw me off the mountain too. But I survived and made my way here by boat until Markos found me in the wreckage.” 

“Kassandra, I...I don’t know what to say except that I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay, (Name); it’s not a big deal. But I appreciate the sentiment all the same.” 

“Of course.” You replied as you hugged Kassandra to your tall, lithe figure in order to show her how much you cared for her while she buried her head in your neck. After a few moments of embracing, you and Kassandra parted as the woman held your hand with a gentle squeeze to show her gratitude before she came up with her own question to ask you, “You were from Megaris.”

“Confirm and deny...I traveled there from my original home and met four Spartan soldiers as they were dining in their camp. They took me in and trained me in combat as if I was a Spartan woman because I reminded many of them of their own wives and daughters as they were all married. But they also offered me protection from bandits and other enemies if I would hunt and fish for them in exchange...But Megaris was not my original home, just as Kephallonia was not always your home or Phoibe’s.” You answered as Kassandra drank in every detail that you fed to her before you gave her an accusation to either confirm or deny, “You got the scars on your bicep from another mercenary or a wild animal.” 

“I was hunting a mercenary once on Kephallonia who traveled with a lion as a tamed companion...The Cyclops put a bounty on my head for not paying him on time and for setting some of his supplies on fire, so he paid a mercenary to hunt me...One thing led to another and that lion scratched my arm during the fight.” Kassandra replied as you ran your hand along each red line that laced her tanned bicep with a saddened expression before the woman presented her last question to you, “You are Athenian.”

“Confirm...” You nodded as silence welcomed your once outspoken voice like a friend before Kassandra quickly took notice of the change in your mood. Putting her arms around your entire body, the woman watched your reaction as you smiled at her kind gesture before you sighed, “Kassandra, I...I have to tell you something because I want to be honest with you, but I don’t want you to think that I kept things from you on purpose.” 

“Mercenaries sometimes hide their identities, so it’s nothing new if you did the same. But every mistios has their reasons, and I believe yours were more personal.”

“I admit I did keep my true identity a secret, so I’ll start with telling you my real name.”

“And what would that be?” 

“(True Name).” 

“(True Name)...” Kassandra repeated as she committed the new name to memory before she smiled at the beauty and diction of your true name while you nodded, “Yes, I am (True Name) of Athens.” 

“Who were you before you became a mercenary?”

“I was a high-born citizen like you. My father Antenor was the leader of an Athenian city state, my mother Ephigenia was a former Pythia until she became a wife and mother, and my older brother Zale was a great Athenian military leader for the navy.” You orated as you swam to the nearest rock to recline your stomach and arms upon while Kassandra followed you to mimic your movements before she continued to ask questions, “What about you and your sister?” 

“My little sister Krysanthe was always the better sister when it came to being an Athenian woman of the household, a magistrate, or a priestess. But me...Phoibe reminds me of myself when I was a girl...Though many adults thought I was sweet, I was actually a stubborn, rambunctious little thing who used to always sneak out of my bedroom at night after days of lessons on how to be a lady so my brother could train me on how to fight. He always knew I had more Spartan personality than Athenian, which was more my baby sister, so he treated me as such.” 

“So if you had such a happy life with your family, why did you run away to Megaris and Kephallonia? Unless...” Kassandra paused as she noticed the subtle thousand-yard stare you gave, a telling gaze that focused itself on the night sky above to stare at the stars before you turned back to your friend while she contemplated aloud, “You never wanted to leave your home, but you had to, didn’t you?” Giving a small nod with a glance that clued Kassandra in on all she needed to know, the woman could tell that you were telling the truth as she looked at you with sympathy before you sighed deeply while another explanation left your lips, “Kassandra, you’ve earned my trust, so I’ll tell you my story. But you have to promise not to tell anyone.” 

“And who would I tell? Most people wanna kill me.” Kassandra joked with a chuckle as you laughed into your palm, “Fair enough.” Then, taking a deep breath to compose yourself, you looked to your best friend as she reclined her chin on her forearms while you twirled your friend’s ponytail braid in your hand before the woman brushed a wet strand of dark brown-black hair away from your eyes as she asked, “I want to take a guess but I also want you to confirm or deny this accusation I have about you...Someone or something is after you.” 

“Confirm...” You sighed as pained orbs of (Eye Color) stared into the golden brown orbs of your friend before you began the tale of your odyssey, “My family and I had a happy life together in Athens with every privilege and luxury afforded to us because of my mother’s former servitude as the Pythia and my father’s position as the leader of an Athenian city state...However, the Fates never meant for it to last.” 

Pausing for a moment to make sure you could continue, you looked to Kassandra with solemn eyes before your friend pressed her forehead against yours as a means of comforting you by letting you know she was here for you while she massaged your biceps in her callused hands and asked, “What happened?” 

“Mater’s death was considered a dishonorable one, so she was never given a proper burial by Pater, which made me and my siblings lose all respect and love for him...It was considered a bad omen to the family because she hung herself, and me, Zale, and Krysanthe never knew why. We figured Pater knew something and didn’t tell us because it was a secret that wasn’t supposed to get out, not because he was protecting us from the pain of her death...All we learned from it was the letter she left behind near her body, but it was ambiguous as it was strange.”

“What did it say?”

“It said ‘The Eyes see all.’ But what she meant by that, my siblings and I could never decipher...And to make matters worse, a couple weeks after her passing, a mysterious cult targeted our family because of our father’s leadership position as the diplomat of the Athenian city state, which he ran right into the ground.” 

“What kind of cult?”

“Men and women from all across the Greek world who wanted to oppress the innocent and fulfill every greedy vice they had. They wanted to use my father as a tool of helping them oppress people, so they offered him a choice: Stand with them and keep his power or stand against them and everyone within our city state, including us, would suffer for his choice...We had the armies and the resources to fight back. My brother was an expert strategist, my sister had many contacts from all over the Greek world who would ally with us, and I could’ve snuck into any base and took out any member of the cult that I wanted to...But our father refused. Instead, he handed the city state to the cult on a silver plate, which caused more resentment between him and us...He showed no sadness when Mater died and when he gave his city state over, he confirmed that he did it to keep his title and not to protect us or the people. He also told us that if we didn’t like things the way they were, then we would have to suck it up.” 

“Your own father screwed you over. I know what that’s like.”

“We tried to argue with him on his decision with diplomacy and fighting words, but he didn’t take heed. And the more we argued with him, the more angry he became with us and we became bitter towards him...At one point during their many arguments, my brother wished our father to go to Hades or Tartarus for his actions while our mother would be allowed to come back to life and be with us again. Our father, on the other hand, wished he had never had the three of us because we constantly debated him rather than be obediently meek.” You explained yourself as Kassandra shook her head in disbelief that your own father would do this to you and your siblings before your story continued, “But my sister and I overheard other members of this cult talking and it changed us forever.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Around the same time that our father and brother were arguing, Pater told Zale that he had already done what needed to be done. When my brother asked our father what he had done, he told them that he had given Krysanthe and I to the cult in order to ensure that they wouldn’t backstab him later...Upon further inspection and eavesdropping, my sister and I learned of our father’s plans.” 

“And what were they?”

“Because I had a Spartan warrior’s spirit despite my status as an Athenian female, I was to be taken to a member of this cult to be tortured and made into a mercenary who would kill whoever they wanted me to.”

“And Krysanthe?”

“She was to be a companion to the cult’s greatest champion, their strongest warrior that was tortured as a child in order to make them inflict pain and feel pain without hesitation. In this way, she would be used as a means of controlling the champion’s behavior. For example, if the champion did as the cult wished, they got to spend more time with my sister...Maybe they would’ve made her the Pythia, a priestess, or some other woman in power to help their cause for all we knew.” 

“And the moment this champion gets disobedient, Krysanthe would be taken away until the champion stepped back in line, right?” Kassandra questioned to confirm that she understood the situation correctly before you nodded, “Right.” 

“But how did you get to Megaris or Kephallonia if this cult wanted to take you and your sister away from Athens and separate you?” 

“After overhearing those two cult members talking about me and Krysanthe, we tried to come up with a plan since the guards that worked for this wicked group were coming to get us that night while Zale argued with our father. Krysanthe was taking a large risk with her plan, but she was smart enough to realize that it would prevent a fate of torture for me and allow me and Zale a better chance of fighting back against the cult.” You explained before Kassandra squinted her eyes while biting her bottom lip as she continued to interrogate you, “And, what was her plan?” 

“She was willing to go alone to the cult to be the companion of this champion as a sacrifice while I escaped our home alone. I tried to get her to come with me because I didn’t want to leave her and I wanted to protect her because she was my baby sister...But she knew that she wouldn’t survive in the wilderness for even a day since she never retained my brother’s combat teachings aside from archery. And as with all of her strategies, I knew she was right. I didn’t want her to be right, but her plan was the only one that would give us better success of defeating the enemy. So, I hugged her for the last time and we parted ways, but I vowed to find our brother once it was safe, rescue her from the cult, and then defeat every member who was involved in destroying our family.” You clarified for your friend as she continued to watch for your reactions while she grabbed your hand and rubbed her thumb across the back of your palm close to your knuckles before you took a pause so you could breathe in enough air to continue your story, “After I left my sister behind, I grabbed my shield and spear since my brother had them custom-designed for me, but I also stole some of my father’s money from the chest he had in his bedroom out of spite. Then, I changed clothes so I would look more like a mercenary and I cut my hair so I wouldn’t be easily recognized...I snuck away to the docks without the guards catching me, where I found a pirate captain getting repairs done for their ship before they were sailing off into open water that night. I paid them a portion of the drachmae I stole to get safe passage out of Athens, and the captain welcomed me aboard as one of her crew once she saw I knew how to use weapons and fish.”

“And let me guess, they dropped you off in Megaris?”

“Yes, but I spent a lot of time sailing with them as a crew member and living on their island base of Keos. Eventually, I confided in the captain since she was the only other female aboard the ship and she remarked that she helped me because she had given safe passage to a Spartan woman who was being hunted by a similar organization...This pirate captain I befriended, she was sad when I left in Megaris, but she never regretted her choice to help me because she hated injustices on the innocent, especially from the cult who targeted me and the Spartan woman or from slave traders.” 

“And after you got to Megaris?” Kassandra urged on as you complied with her polite request, “When I first met these four Spartan soldiers in Megaris, they had just set up camp, so they were all having a meal and singing war songs. They knew right away that I was Athenian the moment I came into their camp, but it didn’t matter to any of us...They let me eat with them and sing some war songs, but they also wanted to know why I was there. By this point, I had already developed my identity as a mercenary known as Athena’s Champion to protect myself, so I used the new alias and they believed me. They also allowed me to stay in the camp with them for protection from wild animals and bandits if I would hunt and fish for them to provide fresh food so they wouldn’t have to use their rations.”

“Did any of these people train you to fight while you were with them?”

“The pirate captain and those soldiers expanded on my brother’s training. On the sea, I was taught how to be a real sailor on a real ship rather than on a little fishing boat and on the land, I was taught to be light on my feet and firm in holding my ground so I wouldn’t get knocked down in a fight.” 

“And did the Spartans miss you?”

“They were sad to see me go too because I reminded many of them of their wives and daughters and how strong of warriors they were. But they knew what my core values were and they knew the first contract to Kephallonia was a way for me to satisfy my need to stop corruption wherever I could, so they let me go.” 

“Did the pirate or the Spartans ever know about your past life as an Athenian?” Kassandra asked you as Ikaros perched on the rock in front of you and your best friend with a sharp cry before you shook your head, “No, only you know about my past because I know I can trust you. If I said anything, it had many details missing or if details were mentioned, then they changed as I saw fit to protect my identity to avoid being persecuted.” 

“So I was right; someone is after you...That’s why you changed your name and your appearance but also why you became a mercenary. It’s the perfect way to hide from your past.” Kassandra mused on this subject aloud as hypervigilance guided your every glance and move towards your friend’s reactions before you sighed as tears threatened to rob you of your sight and your sanity, “I fear for the life of my siblings because I haven’t heard from or seen them in years since I was a teenager, and I don’t want the cult that separated us to hurt them through acts of war or by torturing my sister, who is now their prisoner...But I made a vow to find them and take down the cult for destroying our home and our family, so I’ve been training under many mentors and friends for many years to get to this level of mastery as a mercenary.” 

“So you plan to leave Kephallonia to find Krysanthe and Zale?” Kassandra asked as you nodded, “Yes.”

“How would you know if you found them? I doubt they’d look the same as they did when you were kids.”

“We weren’t that young when we separated from each other since Zale was already fully grown and I was a teenager while my sister was only five years younger than me. So they would still be recognizable to me...However, there’s another thing in common that we share.” 

“And what would that be?” 

“That song I sing you and Phoibe so we all can sleep...That lullaby was one our mom sang for us before she died, and since her passing, all three of us would sing it to each other at the same time each night or else we couldn’t sleep. Even when my brother was a grown man in the Athenian Navy, he never once stopped singing it for us whenever he was back at home. It’s a tradition we held in our family for as long as I could remember.” You explained as Kassandra rested her cheek in her callused palm, which was leaning against the rock to support her elbow, with a small smile at the traditions of your household between you, your siblings, and your mother before you continued, “But they would recognize the shield and spear since I was the only one who ever used it.” 

“You’ll find them, (True Name). They’ll see their sister again.” 

“I feel as though I failed them.” You sighed sadly as tears threatened to pour out of your eyes, which was a rare occurrence considering you rarely ever cried. Crying wasn’t weakness to you, but as a mercenary, you had conditioned yourself to not show pain or fear. But ever since you met Kassandra and opened yourself up to her about your past, it made you more vulnerable and susceptible to emotion. However, the brunette didn’t care if you were crying because she soon wrapped her arms around you as wet, callused palms combed through your brown-black hair and a tender kiss was pressed against your forehead, resting her forehead against yours as she remarked, “You haven’t failed them because you’re getting stronger until one day, you’ll have the strength of a demigod and then nothing will be able to stop you. You are a good person and you will defeat the ones who destroyed your family.” 

“You’re right, I can’t give up hope yet. Not when I’ve come this far...” You remarked back as you smiled through your tears before you replied, “Thanks, my friend. You’ve inspired me and helped me quell my doubts.” Nodding back to you as a means of showing that she was happy to help, you and Kassandra shared a tender embrace. Then, gazing into your (Eye Color) eyes, Kassandra’s golden brown irises seemed to look upon your very soul as another question came to mind, “But your father, he’s an ally to the ones who destroyed your family and your home. So if you were given the chance to kill him for either a contract or to save your siblings, would you do it?”

“He’s already made his choices and he’ll never change. He never changed when we were around, so what makes me or my siblings think he’ll change now? There’s not one shred of guilty conscience in him because he has no remorse. So yes, to protect my people and my family, including you and Phoibe, I would send him to Hades a thousand times over.” You huffed under your breath while gripping your hands behind your friend’s shoulders as Kassandra continued to hold you in her arms while she nodded, understanding of where you were coming from and why you would make a choice such as that. After hearing how her father and yours were similar, Kassandra wouldn’t be surprised if she too took the same path of killing someone for their past transgressions. You certainly were a forgiving individual when it came to loved ones, but when it came to those who intentionally brought corruption, then there was no mercy from you unless the offender was forced to hurt others because of the threats of someone else higher in power. Kassandra knew that much. But to hear that your beautiful childhood was ripped away from you in one night all because of the actions of your father and the heroic sacrifice of your little sister, it brought pain to Kassandra’s heart as she could feel your pain too. She knew what it was like to lose a little sibling, and the pain of that was beyond comprehension or empathy unless one had a sibling. Sensing Kassandra’s somberness towards your story, you tried to lighten the mood as you held out hope for the future, “We’re gonna be okay, you, me and Phoibe...And one day, I’m gonna find my siblings and we can make an even bigger family than I already have with you, Ikaros, and Phoibe.” 

“I’d like nothing more than to meet the brother and sister of my best friend, Athena’s Champion.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Eagle Bearer.” You whispered to the woman as you and her hugged one last time in the water as the lake created translucent beads across tanned skin that was typical of two mercenaries, despite being high-class Spartan and Athenian citizens by birth. After the last hug, Kassandra suggested that the two of you get home as she helped you out of the water by grabbing your hands before you both got dressed again in your armor and other clothes. Once you both made sure you had everything, you and Kassandra took your time walking back to the home you made for yourselves in Kephallonia before the woman tickled you from behind with a low belly laugh as you slapped her scarred bicep with a hushed chuckle to avoid waking up Phoibe, who was fast asleep in her usual spot on the roof. After a few moments of playing around like children, you and Kassandra joined Phoibe on the roof as you both watched over her sleeping frame, climbing into separate bed rolls under warm blankets to ward off the chill from swimming in the lake on a warm summer night. Bidding each other goodnight with tired smiles, you and Kassandra bumped fists one last time before Morpheus whisked you both off to dream about the future ahead. The Fates had led you to the pirate captain who was a gods-send that got you out of Athens. The Fates had allowed you safe passage across the Greek world until you made it to Megaris, where four Spartan soldiers befriended you and trained you. And now, the Fates had led you to Kephallonia and put you in the path of Kassandra and Phoibe, two individuals you considered as adoptive little sister and best friend. You didn’t know where your siblings were or even if they were alive, but something in you told you that hope and faith was needed. You had yet to see if your prayers had been answered as to the wellbeing of Krysanthe and Zale, but a gut feeling told you that they were both alive and holding out hope that you would come back for them. Only time would tell as a new odyssey was about to begin, but this time, with your new family, an eagle-bearing mistios and an little girl.


	15. Assassin’s Creed! Deimos x Fem! Reader - A Reward for a Demigod

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Here’s another oneshot for Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey for your viewing entertainment. However, instead of the reader being the female mistios known better by her title as Athena’s Champion, you will now become Krysanthe, little sister of Athena’s Champion and prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos. This will also put you in contact with Deimos, but as I did for the Eagle Bearer oneshots, I will write two versions within the same oneshot since Deimos/younger sibling can either be Alexios or Kassandra depending on who is chosen to be the Eagle Bearer/older sibling. However, as with the Eagle Bearer oneshots as well, Krysanthe will either have a romantic or platonic relationship with Deimos depending on who Deimos is. 
> 
> Nevertheless, please enjoy and if you want to leave comments, likes, or kudos, you may do so.

Alexios! Deimos Version

Athens, that was my old home, a familiar setting I had left behind as a means of keeping my family and my people safe...Sanctuary of Delphi, Phokis, this was to be my new home. They said I was a reward for their greatest champion, a demigod named Deimos. They said I was a means of controlling his behavior by allowing us to spend more time together if he did something the Cult wished and that we would spend less time together if he did something the Cult disapproved of. I accepted the conditions because it was for the greater good. My older sister wished me to run away with her so we could escape the Cult together and live to fight another day, but the Fates had a different future in store for me. I knew I would never survive in the wild and would get kidnapped by bandits or worse because archery was the only thing I had mastered. I was no fighter like my Athenian naval captain brother Zale or my Spartan-spirited sister (True Name). What I lacked in brawn, I made up for in brains. I was a better strategist and diplomat than I was a warrior, so I had to make a difficult decision. Leaving my sister was not a choice I wanted to make, but my sister and I had overheard a conversation between two of the cult members who destroyed our family and our home. My teenaged sister, the warrior, was to be taken to be tortured and trained into a member of the Elite Guard, to be treated as the greatest champion of the Cult, Deimos, was in their youth. I, on the other hand, had a different fate. 

My elder sister didn’t want to admit it, she didn’t want to let me go just as I didn’t want her to go either. But I was usually right about things such as these. Fighting was her strong suit and politics was mine, even if I could never perform in politics myself because I was an Athenian woman, unless I was the Pythia or a high priestess. The Cult was coming for both of us that night since our father had already sealed our futures to ensure the ones he turned our city state over to, the ones he made an alliance with to keep his power and privilege, wouldn’t turn on him. The Cult was coming to separate us so (True Name) and I would never see each other again. But I had a plan to stop my sister from suffering a worse fate than me, and my plan was the only way to give her the best chance she could have of coming back for me and reuniting this family. So with a heavy heart and a final hug, I bid my elder sister farewell as she promised to find our brother when she was safe, come back to rescue me, and then destroy the Cult for destroying everything we cherished. And with that, I became a prisoner of the Cult as three members of the Elite Guard, garbed in purple and black with snake patterns engraved into their armor and shields, fetched me from my bedroom hours after my sister had fled Athens. I was Krysanthe of Athens, a young girl who would’ve been married off to someone else by Pater as part of some alliance or another so he could have his high-class citizenship. It felt like I was a prisoner of my father and just a means to an end, even with all the opportunities afforded to me as a high class citizen. Now, I was a prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos, a group of men and women who wanted to oppress and control the entire Greek world for their own selfish purposes. But, if I was to be a prisoner and means to an end once more, at least I could be a prisoner to the Cult of Kosmos with peace in my heart, knowing my elder sister was away from their wicked influence and my brother would be fighting the Cult himself. 

It was a warm evening in Athens when I was taken from there to make the journey to Phokis. It was a long trek by horseback to get to the Sanctuary at Delphi, but there were no complications in the journey and the Elite Guards were there to keep me and a female Cultist, a Sage for one of seven branches within the group, safe. After a long journey, I was taken further into their stone fortress to be prepared for my first meeting with their greatest weapon, Deimos. Surrounded by golden and stone statues of snakes at the entrance to the cave under the temple where the Pythia revealed her prophecies to visitors from all over the Greek world, the darkness was frightful to you as you shivered inwardly before the Sage commanded you to follow her inside a small area of the cave while you nodded with a shaky ‘Yes, Ma’am’ escaping your lips. Commanding you to get in a human-sized basin of steaming water, you nodded your head solemnly as silence took your voice away like a sword cutting through a candlestick. After a few moments of breathing deeply with closed eyes that threatened to shed tears and a swallow that felt like you were forcing the heaviest metal down your throat, you took off the vibrant blue chiton and other clothing layers you wore as an Athenian citizen before you undid the braids in your golden hair and stepped into the warm water. 

Trying your best to relax in the water, the warmth did nothing to calm your tense body or wash away your fears as you went to work cleaning yourself up while the Cultist Sage kept watch at the entrance to the room. Eventually, diving under the water to wet your hair so you could make sure it was washed, you made sure that you were truly clean before you exited the tub, wrapping yourself in a cloth robe that was conveniently laying nearby as you used a small cloth to shake your hair dry. After making sure your hair and body were both not soaking wet, you were beckoned to come near the Sage again as she inspected you throughly, despite her wearing a cloak and mask to conceal her identity. Walking around you in a circle like you were a scared lamb and she was a lion waiting to pounce, the Sage grabbed your chin forcefully as she turned your head from side to side before she nodded silently in what seemed like approval. Then, grabbing your hand as you gave no protest or fight, the Sage led you to the other side of the room, where a brand new garment was waiting for you. 

Gazing upon the ivory chiton that seemed to have no sleeves, you noticed that the cloth itself was sheer enough to see every dip and curve of your body but also every part underneath, as if you were being dressed with a fisherman’s net. Many parts of you thought it was intentional that the dress looked like that despite its beauty, but you dared not even think about the dress being purposefully revealing for it would truly designate you as a real prisoner of Deimos. You also noticed several bits of jewelry nearby that seemed to compliment the frock and your own gold and sapphire earrings from home well, which contained a leather belt that appeared black in the dim light of the cave, a golden bracelet that was to act as adornment for your non-dominant arm, a gold charm in the shape of a pyramid on a chain to act as a necklace for you, a golden diadem, and a golden armband for your dominant arm that resembled a slithering serpent like the gargantuan ones at the entrance to the cave hideout of the Cult of Kosmos. Taking another deep breath as you undid the thread on the robe, you quickly dressed in your new garb as you fixed your long curls that were as bright and yellow as the golden jewelry laid out for you to wear for Deimos. Once you were dressed, the Sage inspected you again before she gave a nod of approval and led you to another room, instructing you firmly to wait for Deimos while the champion was being fetched from the area where he was training with his sword. Giving a small nod with a meek ‘ok,’ you were soon left alone in the room as you walked around mindlessly, staring at each and every rock and crevice of your new home as you tried to remain calm. Crying your eyes out and cowering in fear wouldn’t save you or get you out of here any faster. You had to hold out hope that your siblings would come back for you and destroy the Cult so you three could live in peace as a reunited family again. You just had to. Were you afraid? Of course. You were now living in a wet, dark, cold cave that never saw the light of day and you were a child being sold off to a man you didn’t even know as part of an alliance between your father and the Cult of Kosmos. Why wouldn’t you be afraid? The rumors painted Deimos out to be this grand warrior, a demigod on Earth, who could rip you in half like a twig without even breaking a sweat and cause great kings to curl up into the fetal position upon hearing his name. If Deimos had a hot temper, then you hoped he wouldn’t take it out on you and hurt you. Even when you didn’t care what happened to you so long as Zale and (True Name) stayed alive and well, just thinking of Deimos and what he could potentially do to you gave you shivers that caressed your spine with an uncomfortable foreboding. That just made the situation all the more tragic for you as silence stole your voice again but a few tears still streamed down your face without so much as a sniffle or gasp from your petite frame. 

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, two figures entered the room as you jumped back with a silenced yelp. The first figure was clad in a cloak and wearing a feminine mask similar to the one that the Sage who brought you to this room was wearing. The second figure beside them was the same age as you but looked more mature due to their size, which towered over yours. Clad in white and gold armor with black leather adorned with patterns and engravings of snakes, a shiny sword that seemed to glow orange present on their waist, this Deimos was very frightful to you despite how handsome he was. Gesturing for Deimos to go forward and meet you, the woman sounded elderly to you as she instructed, “Now, my child, my precious gift from Hera, this is Krysanthe, the Athenian who is now your reward for your expert leadership of the Cult...But be forewarned, Champion, she will be your one and only reward, so try not to break her too much.” 

“I’ll try my best.” Deimos nodded as he stared you up and down like you were a piece of meat as you tried not to make eye contact with the source of your ever-present fears before the elderly Cultist bid her ‘child’ goodbye and exited the room, leaving you and Deimos alone. With a hint of skepticism evident in his golden brown gaze, Deimos sauntered closer to you, which caused you to keep your head down with only a few side glances towards the towering figure before you while you tried not to stare too long or tremble whenever he came too close. Walking around you in a circle similar to how the Sage did moments earlier, Deimos inspected you from head to toe while you remained as still as a statue created by Medusa’s spell. Eventually, things came to a head as you noticed Deimos was a half inch away from your backside as he grabbed a lock of your hair to move it around in his palm, which caused you to tremble with a hushed squeak like a Chihuahua who got their tail stepped on. Staring upon the golden curl as if it was a fascinating creature or shiny gem, Deimos continued to move the long curl around his callused palm as you stared at him in confusion for the very reason that he was acting like he had never seen curly hair before he dropped the curl and backed away from you to take in your physical appearance again from afar. 

After a few more minutes of examining you, Deimos went to the far side of the room to have a seat on a rock before he nodded his head approvingly towards you as he beckoned you to come to his side. With a meek nod as you clasped your hands together in front of your stomach, you sauntered towards Deimos before you sat down on the same rock that he was on. Flexing his biceps in order to relieve his bodily tension, Deimos continued to stare at you as you occasionally stole a glance before looking away while the man asked you, “So, I hear you’re a high-class Athenian...”

“Yes, I’m Antenor’s youngest daughter. He’s an ally of yours, after all.” 

“I also heard that you voluntarily came here to be my reward for my leadership of the Cult.” 

“Yes...My father thought it would be best for our people and our family if I went since I wasn’t good enough to fight as an Elite Guard or run away from the Cult.”

“But your sister (True Name), we were going to train her to be an Elite Guard but she escaped Athens...And you know something about that, don’t you?” Deimos interrogated you as you stared into his eyes before confidence from some unknown source fueled your every vein and action while you answered the man clad in armor fit for a demigod with the bite of a cobra as your face remained stone cold to avoid giving away your real feelings, “All I know is that she is safe from your influence because of my sacrifice, but I know nothing of where she fled to.”

Staring into your eyes to look for even the slightest hint of deceit, Deimos was puzzled to find none even though fear was evident in your every gesture while he shrugged nonchalantly, “No matter. The Cult will find her.”

“No, she’s smarter than your organization. You’ll never find her, but she’ll find you and come after every last one of you until your group crumbles under your feet and our family is reunited once again. My siblings will come for me and I will always hold out hope for their return.”

“And suppose they don’t return for you? Suppose we find and dispose of them and then do away with you too if you prove to have no value to me or my cult?” Deimos taunted with a smirk, intrigued to learn your next answer since you seemed to always have an honest reply for every question he asked of you, before you sighed slowly, “Then I will be reunited with them again in the afterlife.” Reflecting on your reply, Deimos reclined his cheek upon his hand so his elbow could lean against another rock as a solid foundation as he lengthened out his other arm, tapping his index finger against his armored knee as if he was aggravated about something. But what he seemed livid about, you did not know and you dared not ask to avoid angering the man before you. However, Deimos soon relaxed as he straightened up in his seat on the rock while you remained in the same position that you had been since he beckoned you to sit with him, prim and proper like a regal queen, before he asked, “And what are you called, Athenian? You must have a name just as I do.” 

“My name is Krysanthe.” 

“More like crybaby.” Deimos smirked as he chuckled wickedly under his breath while you gave a half-hearted smile with downcast eyes to try not to make eye contact for too long or in the wrong way so you could also avoid angering the male demigod. However, this non-genuine gesture didn’t go unnoticed by the perceptive cult weapon as his expression went blank again, “You shouldn’t take things so personally...But I can obviously see you don’t. However, I do notice that you show no emotion here, even with us alone.”

“And why should I? My emotions won’t help me because I don’t matter and I never did. I’m just a means to an end who was sold away to be your reward for doing so well in leading the Cult of Kosmos. My father would’ve sold me off to anyone as part of an alliance so he could keep his power and wealth. As for me, I would’ve voluntarily gone wherever Pater asked me to go because it’s my duty as an Athenian woman to do what is best for my family, even if I have to be a prisoner of a powerful organization or marry someone I don’t love.” You answered honestly with a face that remained collected even when fear was ever-present in your mind, of the Cult, of Deimos, of your situation, of everything that was happening and would happen to you now. And to your pleasant surprise, Deimos actually showed emotion towards your answer as his golden brown orbs widened and his mouth opened subtly as if to gasp under his breath. For every one of his questions, you always had a wise answer. And in every answer, there was nothing but truth laced in it. In every answer, you were forthright with no subtlety in your meaningful words, even if someone was to read between the lines to find a hidden message. You were right, emotions were useless now since they would never save you and you were a means to the end of helping your father achieve his goals. All you had left was your prayers and your hope that Zale and (True Name) would come back for you, even if fear consumed you all over like a thick shroud. That was all that could help you. 

Therefore, it was truly a shock to see Deimos react to you so genuinely as he tried to become emotionless once again, just like his priestess savior taught him as a much younger child, before he smirked again, “But what emotions you do show, they seem to be centered around one thing.”

“And that would be?”

“Fear. You reek of it.” Deimos hissed as his face was inches away from yours, which caused your (Eye Color) eyes to widen towards his actions as he continued with his statement, “So I feel as if I should ask...Do you fear me, Krysanthe?” 

“Yes. This whole situation is nothing like the boring, safe life I once knew in Athens, and it frightened me as to what might happen next. But yes, out of everything in my new life, I do fear you the most because of all the stories I heard of you.” 

“And they would be right. But as my one and only reward, you are safe so long as your useful and I’m alive...At least I know you’re honest. You’re one of the only few ones who are.” Deimos shrugged again as you listened intently, hypervigilant towards the man’s reactions so you could anticipate his next move. After a few moments of him staring at you and you staring back at him, Deimos quickly rose from his seat on the rock to walk towards the door as you flinched, eyes closed and back pressed against the wall in preparation for the unpredictable demigod to hurt you, before the man remarked, “I’m going back to the training grounds. Come with me or stay here, your choice...I’ll be back later. Just try not to escape; I’d hate to have to break you in half.” 

“I’m no match for you in brawn; I’m not even a match against a grown woman my age and size in a fight. I’ll admit that much...Besides, your Cult would just find me anyways. You said it yourself.” You fired back as meekly as possible before lowering your gaze to the floor in fear while Deimos sighed with a roll of his eyes, whispering the word ‘crybaby’ as he slammed the door and headed off towards the training grounds. 

With a deep sigh of relief that you were finally alone and not constantly watching your every move to avoid angering a dangerous Cultist, you felt safer as you went to work removing your jewelry piece by piece before you set them all down on a nearby table. Then, finding a nearby bedroll and some blankets, you lowered yourself down onto the floor as exhaustion started to overtake your every tense muscle. Stress seemed to do the trick of tuckering you right out as you yawned lightly and closed your eyes, feeling Morpheus’s spell upon you as a familiar song entered your head. Upon sensing its memory, you found yourself sleepily singing the lyrics as you curled into the fetal position, covering yourself fully in the blanket since you were so cold, in spite of taking a hot bath before meeting Deimos. After you had finished the lullaby, the world went black and dreams of hope and the return of your siblings filled your head. 

Much later in this cold night in this damp, dark cave, Deimos followed through on his promise of returning to you only to find his reward fast asleep, unmoved by his towering presence entering his (and now your shared) bedroom as the door closed with a sharp click. Up and down, slow and peaceful...Your rising and falling body indicated to Deimos your current status of being inside Morpheus’s realm as he found himself unable to take his eyes off you. You just...looked so ethereal that Deimos couldn’t help but think you were so beautiful. A strange thought for someone who was bloodthirsty like him, yes. But then again, Deimos was a demigod who ran the Cult of Kosmos (or so he thought) and his thoughts were his own. Besides, Hades, a deity of death and decay, had fallen for Persephone, a deity of life and spring. Considering your name meant ‘golden flower’ in the tongue of the Greeks, it suited you because you were radiating like the very metal that made up Deimos’s armor, but you were also fragile and beautiful. As he sauntered closer to you, Deimos knelt down beside your slumbering frame as he noticed a scented oil in the air that was originating from your skin and hair, which prompted his perceptive nose to commit the scent to his memory as belonging to you and only you. Contemplation took over Deimos’s mind as he brought his hand close to your body, but caution guided his actions as he drew his hand back to his waist. He was very much fascinated by you and wanted to talk to you more, but he didn’t want to wake you for fear that you wouldn’t continue to fascinate him with your regal presence, so he decided to let you sleep. Sitting down on the ground so his back was reclined against the wall, Deimos continued to watch over you out of the corner of his eye as you fascinated him by just being asleep. Rolling his eyes as he looked away from you for a moment, Deimos hissed a message of ‘I can’t believe this girl will be the end of me. Curse Aphrodite for making her so pretty’ under his breath before his eyes laser-focused back to you, unable to divert attention away from the Athenian high class girl with the golden hair. Throughout the long night, Deimos watched over you intently as you slept before his eyes, weary-looking because of darkened skin and under eye bags, grew heavy and Morpheus whisked him away as well. Resting his head on his knees as his sword was still in his hand, Deimos finally fell asleep to the sound of your soft breathing and the soothing oil scent that permeated your body. 

Krysanthe of Athens, expert in espionage and politics as well as the daughter of former Pythia Euphigenia and Athenian politician Antenor, that was who you were. Krysanthe of Delphi, prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos and reward of the leader Deimos, that was who you were now. Only the Fates knew what was in store for you in regards to a destiny shaped by your bond with Deimos, and without knowing it, you and Deimos had sealed each other’s fate the moment you met each other, and it would change you both for the better. 

____________________________________

Kassandra! Deimos Version 

Athens, that was my old home, a familiar setting I had left behind as a means of keeping my family and my people safe...Sanctuary of Delphi, Phokis, this was to be my new home. They said I was a reward for their greatest champion, a demigod named Deimos. They said I was a means of controlling her behavior by allowing us to spend more time together if she did something the Cult wished and that we would spend less time together if she did something the Cult disapproved of. I accepted the conditions because it was for the greater good. My older sister wished me to run away with her so we could escape the Cult together and live to fight another day, but the Fates had a different future in store for me. I knew I would never survive in the wild and would get kidnapped by bandits or worse because archery was the only thing I had mastered. I was no fighter like my Athenian naval captain brother Zale or my Spartan-spirited sister (True Name). What I lacked in brawn, I made up for in brains. I was a better strategist and diplomat than I was a warrior, so I had to make a difficult decision. Leaving my sister was not a choice I wanted to make, but my sister and I had overheard a conversation between two of the cult members who destroyed our family and our home. My teenaged sister, the warrior, was to be taken to be tortured and trained into a member of the Elite Guard, to be treated as the greatest champion of the Cult, Deimos, was in their youth. I, on the other hand, had a different fate. 

My elder sister didn’t want to admit it, she didn’t want to let me go just as I didn’t want her to go either. But I was usually right about things such as these. Fighting was her strong suit and politics was mine, even if I could never perform in politics myself because I was an Athenian woman, unless I was the Pythia or a high priestess. The Cult was coming for both of us that night since our father had already sealed our futures to ensure the ones he turned our city state over to, the ones he made an alliance with to keep his power and privilege, wouldn’t turn on him. The Cult was coming to separate us so (True Name) and I would never see each other again. But I had a plan to stop my sister from suffering a worse fate than me, and my plan was the only way to give her the best chance she could have of coming back for me and reuniting this family. So with a heavy heart and a final hug, I bid my elder sister farewell as she promised to find our brother when she was safe, come back to rescue me, and then destroy the Cult for destroying everything we cherished. And with that, I became a prisoner of the Cult as three members of the Elite Guard, garbed in purple and black with snake patterns engraved into their armor and shields, fetched me from my bedroom hours after my sister had fled Athens. I was Krysanthe of Athens, a young girl who would’ve been married off to someone else by Pater as part of some alliance or another so he could have his high-class citizenship. It felt like I was a prisoner of my father and just a means to an end, even with all the opportunities afforded to me as a high class citizen. Now, I was a prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos, a group of men and women who wanted to oppress and control the entire Greek world for their own selfish purposes. But, if I was to be a prisoner and means to an end once more, at least I could be a prisoner to the Cult of Kosmos with peace in my heart, knowing my elder sister was away from their wicked influence and my brother would be fighting the Cult himself. 

It was a warm evening in Athens when I was taken from there to make the journey to Phokis. It was a long trek by horseback to get to the Sanctuary at Delphi, but there were no complications in the journey and the Elite Guards were there to keep me and a female Cultist, a Sage for one of seven branches within the group, safe. After a long journey, I was taken further into their stone fortress to be prepared for my first meeting with their greatest weapon, Deimos. Surrounded by golden and stone statues of snakes at the entrance to the cave under the temple where the Pythia revealed her prophecies to visitors from all over the Greek world, the darkness was frightful to you as you shivered inwardly before the Sage commanded you to follow her inside a small area of the cave while you nodded with a shaky ‘Yes, Ma’am’ escaping your lips. Commanding you to get in a human-sized basin of steaming water, you nodded your head solemnly as silence took your voice away like a sword cutting through a candlestick. After a few moments of breathing deeply with closed eyes that threatened to shed tears and a swallow that felt like you were forcing the heaviest metal down your throat, you took off the vibrant blue chiton and other clothing layers you wore as an Athenian citizen before you undid the braids in your golden hair and stepped into the warm water. 

Trying your best to relax in the water, the warmth did nothing to calm your tense body or wash away your fears as you went to work cleaning yourself up while the Cultist Sage kept watch at the entrance to the room. Eventually, diving under the water to wet your hair so you could make sure it was washed, you made sure that you were truly clean before you exited the tub, wrapping yourself in a cloth robe that was conveniently laying nearby as you used a small cloth to shake your hair dry. After making sure your hair and body were both not soaking wet, you were beckoned to come near the Sage again as she inspected you throughly, despite her wearing a cloak and mask to conceal her identity. Walking around you in a circle like you were a scared lamb and she was a lion waiting to pounce, the Sage grabbed your chin forcefully as she turned your head from side to side before she nodded silently in what seemed like approval. Then, grabbing your hand as you gave no protest or fight, the Sage led you to the other side of the room, where a brand new garment was waiting for you. 

Gazing upon the ivory chiton that seemed to have no sleeves, you noticed that the cloth itself was sheer enough to see every dip and curve of your body but also every part underneath, as if you were being dressed with a fisherman’s net. Many parts of you thought it was intentional that the dress looked like that despite its beauty, but you dared not even think about the dress being purposefully revealing for it would truly designate you as a real prisoner of Deimos. You also noticed several bits of jewelry nearby that seemed to compliment the frock and your own gold and sapphire earrings from home well, which contained a leather belt that appeared black in the dim light of the cave, a golden bracelet that was to act as adornment for your non-dominant arm, a gold charm in the shape of a pyramid on a chain to act as a necklace for you, a golden diadem, and a golden armband for your dominant arm that resembled a slithering serpent like the gargantuan ones at the entrance to the cave hideout of the Cult of Kosmos. Taking another deep breath as you undid the thread on the robe, you quickly dressed in your new garb as you fixed your long curls that were as bright and yellow as the golden jewelry laid out for you to wear for Deimos. Once you were dressed, the Sage inspected you again before she gave a nod of approval and led you to another room, instructing you firmly to wait for Deimos while the champion was being fetched from the area where she was training with her sword. Giving a small nod with a meek ‘ok,’ you were soon left alone in the room as you walked around mindlessly, staring at each and every rock and crevice of your new home as you tried to remain calm. Crying your eyes out and cowering in fear wouldn’t save you or get you out of here any faster. You had to hold out hope that your siblings would come back for you and destroy the Cult so you three could live in peace as a reunited family again. You just had to. Were you afraid? Of course. You were now living in a wet, dark, cold cave that never saw the light of day and you were a child being sold off to a woman you didn’t even know as part of an alliance between your father and the Cult of Kosmos. Why wouldn’t you be afraid? The rumors painted Deimos out to be this grand warrior, a demigod on Earth, who could rip you in half like a twig without even breaking a sweat and cause great kings to curl up into the fetal position upon hearing her name. If Deimos had a hot temper, then you hoped she wouldn’t take it out on you and hurt you. Even when you didn’t care what happened to you so long as Zale and (True Name) stayed alive and well, just thinking of Deimos and what she could potentially do to you gave you shivers that caressed your spine with an uncomfortable foreboding. That just made the situation all the more tragic for you as silence stole your voice again but a few tears still streamed down your face without so much as a sniffle or gasp from your petite frame. 

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, two figures entered the room as you jumped back with a silenced yelp. The first figure was clad in a cloak and wearing a feminine mask similar to the one that the Sage who brought you to this room was wearing. The second figure beside them was the same age as you but looked more mature due to their size, which towered over yours. Clad in white and gold armor with black leather adorned with patterns and engravings of snakes, a shiny sword that seemed to glow orange present on their waist, this Deimos was very frightful to you despite how pretty she was. Gesturing for Deimos to go forward and meet you, the woman sounded elderly to you as she instructed, “Now, my child, my precious gift from Hera, this is Krysanthe, the Athenian who is now your reward for your expert leadership of the Cult...But be forewarned, Champion, she will be your one and only reward, so try not to break her too much.” 

“I’ll try my best.” Deimos nodded as she stared you up and down like you were a piece of meat as you tried not to make eye contact with the source of your ever-present fears before the elderly Cultist bid her ‘child’ goodbye and exited the room, leaving you and Deimos alone. With a hint of skepticism evident in her golden brown gaze, Deimos sauntered closer to you, which caused you to keep your head down with only a few side glances towards the towering figure before you while you tried not to stare too long or tremble whenever she came too close. Walking around you in a circle similar to how the Sage did moments earlier, Deimos inspected you from head to toe while you remained as still as a statue created by Medusa’s spell. Eventually, things came to a head as you noticed Deimos was a half inch away from your backside as she grabbed a lock of your hair to move it around in her palm, which caused you to tremble with a hushed squeak like a Chihuahua who got their tail stepped on. Staring upon the golden curl as if it was a fascinating creature or shiny gem, Deimos continued to move the long curl around her callused palm as you stared at her in confusion for the very reason that she was acting like she had never seen curly hair before she dropped the curl and backed away from you to take in your physical appearance again from afar. 

After a few more minutes of examining you, Deimos went to the far side of the room to have a seat on a rock before she nodded her head approvingly towards you as she beckoned you to come to her side. With a meek nod as you clasped your hands together in front of your stomach, you sauntered towards Deimos before you sat down on the same rock that she was on. Flexing her biceps in order to relieve her bodily tension, Deimos continued to stare at you as you occasionally stole a glance before looking away while the woman asked you, “So, I hear you’re a high-class Athenian...”

“Yes, I’m Antenor’s youngest daughter. He’s an ally of yours, after all.” 

“I also heard that you voluntarily came here to be my reward for my leadership of the Cult.” 

“Yes...My father thought it would be best for our people and our family if I went since I wasn’t good enough to fight as an Elite Guard or run away from the Cult.”

“But your sister (True Name), we were going to train her to be an Elite Guard but she escaped Athens...And you know something about that, don’t you?” Deimos interrogated you as you stared into his eyes before confidence from some unknown source fueled your every vein and action while you answered the woman clad in armor fit for a demigod with the bite of a cobra as your face remained stone cold to avoid giving away your real feelings, “All I know is that she is safe from your influence because of my sacrifice, but I know nothing of where she fled to.”

Staring into your eyes to look for even the slightest hint of deceit, Deimos was puzzled to find none even though fear was evident in your every gesture while she shrugged nonchalantly, “No matter. The Cult will find her.”

“No, she’s smarter than your organization. You’ll never find her, but she’ll find you and come after every last one of you until your group crumbles under your feet and our family is reunited once again. My siblings will come for me and I will always hold out hope for their return.”

“And suppose they don’t return for you? Suppose we find and dispose of them and then do away with you too if you prove to have no value to me or my cult?” Deimos taunted with a smirk, intrigued to learn your next answer since you seemed to always have an honest reply for every question she asked of you, before you sighed slowly, “Then I will be reunited with them again in the afterlife.” Reflecting on your reply, Deimos reclined her cheek upon her hand so her elbow could lean against another rock as a solid foundation as she lengthened out her other arm, tapping her index finger against her armored knee as if she was aggravated about something. But what she seemed livid about, you did not know and you dared not ask to avoid angering the woman before you. However, Deimos soon relaxed as she straightened up in her seat on the rock while you remained in the same position that you had been since she beckoned you to sit with her, prim and proper like a regal queen, before she asked, “And what are you called, Athenian? You must have a name just as I do.” 

“My name is Krysanthe.” 

“More like crybaby.” Deimos smirked as she chuckled wickedly under her breath while you gave a half-hearted smile with downcast eyes to try not to make eye contact for too long or in the wrong way so you could also avoid angering the female demigod. However, this non-genuine gesture didn’t go unnoticed by the perceptive cult weapon as her expression went blank again, “You shouldn’t take things so personally...But I can obviously see you don’t. However, I do notice that you show no emotion here, even with us alone.”

“And why should I? My emotions won’t help me because I don’t matter and I never did. I’m just a means to an end who was sold away to be your reward for doing so well in leading the Cult of Kosmos. My father would’ve sold me off to anyone as part of an alliance so he could keep his power and wealth. As for me, I would’ve voluntarily gone wherever Pater asked me to go because it’s my duty as an Athenian woman to do what is best for my family, even if I have to be a prisoner of a powerful organization or marry someone I don’t love.” You answered honestly with a face that remained collected even when fear was ever-present in your mind, of the Cult, of Deimos, of your situation, of everything that was happening and would happen to you now. And to your pleasant surprise, Deimos actually showed emotion towards your answer as her golden brown orbs widened and her mouth opened subtly as if to gasp under her breath. For every one of her questions, you always had a wise answer. And in every answer, there was nothing but truth laced in it. In every answer, you were forthright with no subtlety in your meaningful words, even if someone was to read between the lines to find a hidden message. You were right, emotions were useless now since they would never save you and you were a means to the end of helping your father achieve his goals. All you had left was your prayers and your hope that Zale and (True Name) would come back for you, even if fear consumed you all over like a thick shroud. That was all that could help you. 

Therefore, it was truly a shock to see Deimos react to you so genuinely as she tried to become emotionless once again, just like her priestess savior taught her as a much younger child, before she smirked again, “But what emotions you do show, they seem to be centered around one thing.”

“And that would be?”

“Fear. You reek of it.” Deimos hissed as her face was inches away from yours, which caused your (Eye Color) eyes to widen towards her actions as she continued with her statement, “So I feel as if I should ask...Do you fear me, Krysanthe?” 

“Yes. This whole situation is nothing like the boring, safe life I once knew in Athens, and it frightened me as to what might happen next. But yes, out of everything in my new life, I do fear you the most because of all the stories I heard of you.” 

“And they would be right. But as my one and only reward, you are safe so long as your useful and I’m alive...At least I know you’re honest. You’re one of the only few ones who are.” Deimos shrugged again as you listened intently, hypervigilant towards the woman’s reactions so you could anticipate her next move. After a few moments of her staring at you and you staring back at her, Deimos quickly rose from her seat on the rock to walk towards the door as you flinched, eyes closed and back pressed against the wall in preparation for the unpredictable demigod to hurt you, before the woman remarked, “I’m going back to the training grounds. Come with me or stay here, your choice...I’ll be back later. Just try not to escape; I’d hate to have to break you in half.” 

“I’m no match for you in brawn; I’m not even a match against a grown woman my age and size in a fight. I’ll admit that much...Besides, your Cult would just find me anyways. You said it yourself.” You fired back as meekly as possible before lowering your gaze to the floor in fear while Deimos sighed with a roll of her eyes, whispering the word ‘crybaby’ as she slammed the door and headed off towards the training grounds. 

With a deep sigh of relief that you were finally alone and not constantly watching your every move to avoid angering a dangerous Cultist, you felt safer as you went to work removing your jewelry piece by piece before you set them all down on a nearby table. Then, finding a nearby bedroll and some blankets, you lowered yourself down onto the floor as exhaustion started to overtake your every tense muscle. Stress seemed to do the trick of tuckering you right out as you yawned lightly and closed your eyes, feeling Morpheus’s spell upon you as a familiar song entered your head. Upon sensing its memory, you found yourself sleepily singing the lyrics as you curled into the fetal position, covering yourself fully in the blanket since you were so cold, in spite of taking a hot bath before meeting Deimos. After you had finished the lullaby, the world went black and dreams of hope and the return of your siblings filled your head. 

Much later in this cold night in this damp, dark cave, Deimos followed through on her promise of returning to you only to find her reward fast asleep, unmoved by her towering presence entering her (and now your shared) bedroom as the door closed with a sharp click. Up and down, slow and peaceful...Your rising and falling body indicated to Deimos your current status of being inside Morpheus’s realm as she found himself unable to take her eyes off you. You just...looked so ethereal that Deimos couldn’t help but think you were so beautiful. A strange thought for someone who was bloodthirsty like him, yes. But then again, Deimos was a demigod who ran the Cult of Kosmos (or so he thought) and her thoughts were her own. Besides, Hades, a deity of death and decay, had fallen for Persephone, a deity of life and spring. Considering your name meant ‘golden flower’ in the tongue of the Greeks, it suited you because you were radiating like the very metal that made up Deimos’s armor, but you were also fragile and beautiful. As she sauntered closer to you, Deimos knelt down beside your slumbering frame as she noticed a scented oil in the air that was originating from your skin and hair, which prompted her perceptive nose to commit the scent to her memory as belonging to you and only you. Contemplation took over Deimos’s mind as she brought her hand close to your body, but caution guided her actions as she drew her hand back to her waist. She was very much fascinated by you and wanted to talk to you more, but she didn’t want to wake you for fear that you wouldn’t continue to fascinate her with your regal presence, so she decided to let you sleep. Sitting down on the ground so her back was reclined against the wall, Deimos continued to watch over you out of the corner of her eye as you fascinated her by just being asleep. Rolling her eyes as she looked away from you for a moment, Deimos hissed a message of ‘I can’t believe this girl will be the end of me. Curse Aphrodite for making her so pretty’ under her breath before her eyes laser-focused back to you, unable to divert attention away from the Athenian high class girl with the golden hair. Throughout the long night, Deimos watched over you intently as you slept before her eyes, weary-looking because of darkened skin and under eye bags, grew heavy and Morpheus whisked her away as well. Resting her head on her knees as her sword was still in her hand, Deimos finally fell asleep to the sound of your soft breathing and the soothing oil scent that permeated your body. 

Krysanthe of Athens, expert in espionage and politics as well as the daughter of former Pythia Euphigenia and Athenian politician Antenor, that was who you were. Krysanthe of Delphi, prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos and reward of the leader Deimos, that was who you were now. Only the Fates knew what was in store for you in regards to a destiny shaped by your bond with Deimos, and without knowing it, you and Deimos had sealed each other’s fate the moment you met each other, and it would change you both for the better.


	16. A New Life In Siwa - Bayek x Aya x Daughter! Reader x Hepzefa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings, everyone. This is Sakuraaeris1497 with another oneshot for Assassin’s Creed: Origins that I decided to write after a couple months of writing it. I hope everyone enjoys it and as always, comments, likes, reblogs, and kudos are welcome.

Name) of Kanopos Nome, now (Name) of Siwa. This was your new alias ever since you left your godfather Phanos the Younger and uncle Apollodorus the Sicilian, practically your whole world behind. Ever since the newlywed couple, two Medjay named Bayek of Siwa and Aya of Alexandria, adopted you as their foster daughter to complete their new family, your life had become more safe and more exciting. Trained in the ways of a Medjay despite your Hellenized Jewish and Roman heritage, you became very proficient in combat, reading ancient Egyptian texts, and stealth under the guided tutelage of two loving foster parents and expert mentors. While you still trained to polish your mastery over your new skills, you felt stronger than you were when you were a little girl of twelve, torn from her comfortable lifestyle as the niece of a politician for the male pharaoh after masked men attacked your happy home. No longer were you a damsel in distress who needed saving from others when there was a wolf at the door. Instead, you were your own savior when danger came knocking at your door. Well-loved by the villagers in Siwa, you became a favorite among the multitudes of children who swarmed you whenever you came to visit after training with your parents as well as the elderly civilians who smiled at you kindly in their seated positions with whispered greetings and shaking bodies from over-used joints. The little girls loved to play with your hair because it was unlike anything they had ever seen or felt before, not anywhere near as coarse or dark like theirs even if it was thick like a horse’s mane. However, the black hair you had when you arrived to Siwa was just a black wig made to look like an Egyptian woman’s natural hair; it was a precaution used by Apollodorus to conceal your true identity from those who meant you and him harm. But now that you were in Siwa as a fully-trained Medjay, you felt no need to wear it anymore, so your natural hair was free to flow wherever the winds carried it.   
Your natural hair was a complete contrast to your naturally dark eyebrows and lightly tanned skin, and you were the only one in your family to have this hue. Locks of gold sat upon your head, but they were so pale in hue that most people thought your hair was as white as milk. Despite the fact that it made many people believe you to be an apparition or goddess of some sort, it complimented your beauty well. In the meanwhile, the little boys liked to ask you for tips on fighting and hiding, especially when it benefited them in playing childhood games such as hide-and-seek or tag. But the elderly men and women, they enjoyed your company the most because you were so considerate of their needs, always willing to listen to their stories of old, and very respectful towards their vast amounts of wisdom. However, a particular man in Siwa seemed to find you so irresistible that he couldn’t take his eyes off you, and once you formally made his acquaintance, you found yourself under a spell of love that you couldn’t easily rid yourself of. 

The first time he gazed upon you, you were helping Rabiah, a well-renowned medicine woman and shaman for Siwa, tend to some women who had recently given birth after helping your father fetch the ingredients needed for the new mothers. He was conversing with Bayek and Aya when his eyes locked onto your frame. Over the years as you lived in the village, you had blossomed from a girl into a woman, youthful in face as you were kind and beautiful in word and deed. As you grew up, peers in your age group couldn’t keep their gaze away from you and fawned all over you since you were so exotic and pretty to ogle at; it even made some of the Siwan girls in your own age group jealous since you were the only girl in the village with a paler complexion and head of hair in comparison to them, which caused some minuscule teasing from them that was quickly resolved with a death glare from you or your adoptive mother. However, Bayek seemed to scare all the strapping young men off with just one glare. He was fiercely protective of his only foster daughter, after all, and didn’t appreciate guys staring at you like a hyena to a piece of meat. But one man wasn’t scared off by Bayek because he was a best friend of the Siwan Medjay and he had never noticed you in such a romantic light...until now. So as soon as he saw you working in the village under the watchful eye of Rabiah, learning everything she knew about medicines and wild herbs, he just couldn’t get enough of you. Oblivious to the man’s lovesick glances, you continued to work with the tired patients as they cradled their small, sobbing children in their arms. As proud parents who had a safe delivery all thanks to you and Bayek delivering the herbs to Rabiah in time, the mothers and fathers offered their sincere gratitude to you, a former non-Siwan, through many warm hugs and praises in Egyptian tongues. You offered many warm hugs and your own kind words in the language of the Siwan people to pay back the friendly villagers before you noticed your parents and Bayek’s childhood friend standing outside near the entrance to Rabiah’s medical hut, to which you flashed a kind smile with sparkling eyes and a friendly wave towards the older man. Though you didn’t know the man well enough to consider him an uncle or godfather to you, you did know him by name because of your foster father’s many stories of all the scrapes he and his best friend would get into, which would cause Rabiah to scold them as she healed their wounds and lied to their parents to avoid the kids getting in serious trouble. Hepzefa was his name, and he was famous for getting into heart-racing, hilarious situations with your foster father. He was also very accepting of Aya, even going so far as to treat her as if she was his sister-in-law since he and Bayek were basically like brothers attached at the hip. Though Hepzefa would’ve technically been considered to be like your close family friend or uncle, you had to admit that he was very handsome despite the age difference between you and him. Besides, you were old enough to marry if you chose to, and since you and Hepzefa were both unmarried with no children, you thought it wouldn’t hurt to see this Siwan in a romantic light either, albeit in the privacy of your own head. 

However, with just that smile and that hand wave, Hepzefa was head over heels in love with you as he started to smile with lovesick, golden brown irises sparkling like diamonds towards your general direction. This didn’t go unnoticed by your foster mother Aya, who chuckled mischievously as she excused herself from being with her husband’s friend so she could stand beside you. As you were washing your hands in a wooden bowl of clean water before drying them off, Aya sauntered over to you as she tapped her hip against yours with a chuckle escaping both your mouths while the Alexandrian commented, “So, you seem to have caught the attention of a certain friend of your father’s.” 

“I have no idea what you’re referring to, Mater.” You giggled as you teased her before she played along in your little game like a girl in your own age group, “Oh come on, you have to admit, he’s very handsome, and very single...He’s a good man if he’s a friend of your father’s.” 

“Well, he is kinda cute.” You admitted in a hushed tone as your mother laughed alongside you as if she was your best friend and the same age as you before you asked her in a more serious tone, “But doesn’t the age gap bother you and Papo? And won’t people think it’s weird since he’s a family friend and like an uncle to me? Besides, why would he want a non-Siwan like me when there are plenty of good Siwan women around?” 

“Not at all.” Aya objected as she shook her head before she explained, “Your father is older than me by a couple years, and besides, you haven’t been around him long enough for people to make the assumption that he’s like an uncle to you. And in case you forgot, I too was a non-Siwan until I met and fell in love with your father...The bottom line is that your father and I may be overprotective of you but it’s because you’re our child and we love you. We want you to be safe, but we also want you to be happy so long as you’re under our roof.” 

“So if I were in love with him and were to be his beloved if he accepts me?” 

“Then I would need to talk to your father about it so he knows, but because who you’ve chosen to love privately is a good man, I’m sure there will be no objections. However, fathers are always overprotective of their children, especially their little girls, but it’s only because they want what’s best for you. They want you to be treated like a queen and a trusted confidant just as your father treats me everyday.” 

“And that’s all I would ever want in a man, and I think Hepzefa could be the one.” You admitted before you embraced your Greco-Egyptian foster mother as you whispered sweetly, “Thanks, Mater. I always know I can count on you for delicate matters such as these.” 

“You’re welcome, my Medjay queen.” Aya replied as she kissed your forehead while she stroked her hands through your hair before she suggested, “Now run along and give Hepzefa something to stare at.” With small giggles as you slapped your mother’s arm while she failed to dodge the playful attack, you did manage to pass by Hepzefa again so you could hand-deliver medicine to a sick child who had recently gotten a bad cough and high fever due to Rabiah being busy looking after the new mothers at her tent. After greeting him aloud with a smile, Hepzefa felt like he was still struck by Cupid’s arrows and seemed dazed for a long lapse of time before Bayek bumped his friend’s arm with his elbow as he chuckled, “Uh, Hepzefa...Hepzefa, (Name) just said hi to you. There’s no need to have your head in the clouds, or is my daughter so irresistible that you couldn’t utter a sentence?” 

“Huh?” Hepzefa tilted his head with widened eyes as he noticed that you, Bayek, and Aya were staring at him awkwardly before he shook off the delayed reaction as a trivial occurrence, “Just running through the many responsibilities of Siwa in my head, my friend. Sorry, hello, (Name).”

“Where are you off to, my child?” Bayek asked with his hands crossed over his chest before you answered back solemnly, “I was going to take this medicine to the edge of Siwa. There’s a mother there who can’t leave her child unattended while the father is selling wares in the market. I thought I could deliver the medicine myself if that’s alright with you and Mater.” 

“How about I go with you, just to make sure you’re safe?” Bayek offered as you thought about it a little before you nodded kindly, “Of course, Papo. I would love nothing better.” 

“We’ll be back soon, Aya.” 

“I’ll be waiting, my love.” Aya replied as she gave Bayek a quick kiss on the lips while you and Hepzefa watched the happy couple with kind smiles as eyes of golden brown and eyes of (Eye Color) continued to sneak glances at each other, secret wishes of a tender kiss or a true love felt between two people exchanged between yourselves and another partner. After breaking apart, Bayek put a gentle hand around your shoulders as you walked through the streets of Siwa before Aya took Hepzefa aside, wishing to speak to him privately among friends. Aya knew that if love was in the air between you and Hepzefa, then it would come naturally when it was least expected. If you two were meant to be, then you both would see the light and be struck by Cupid’s arrows together. Therefore, she decided not to mention the crush you had developed on the older male so that she could allow love to run its natural course. 

However, as you walked with your father to the home of the sick child, you couldn’t hold your tongue towards the fact that you were in love but didn’t know if it was reciprocated. You didn’t have to tell him that it was Hepzefa you had the crush on, but your father did deserve to know that you did have a crush on a Siwan man in the village. Entering the home of the sick child with a soft knock on the door as the mother let you and Bayek inside, you spoke sweetly to the child as their weak, little eyes fluttered open and they awakened from their fever-stricken slumber. With a small greeting as the child asked about your work as a Medjay, you answered every question to curb their curiosity before you administered the powdery medicine into their mouth. With a wince and a gag, the child looked to you with widened eyes that quickly narrowed towards you for giving them the medicine. This only made you laugh and hand the child some sweets to get rid of the bad taste as you remarked that while you were sorry that you gave them medicine that tasted bad, it would make them feel better. Giving a smile towards you from behind at the way you interacted with his people and even children in general, you could tell Bayek was proud of you from the way he draped a muscular bicep over your shoulders while you both bid the mother and child goodbye. 

Lazily hugging each other as you both walked back home during the long, cold night, Bayek found himself smiling again as he remarked, “You have learned the ways of the Medjay and the healer well. I am so proud of you, my daughter.” 

“Thank you, Papo. I learned from the best teachers in Siwa.” You replied as Bayek chuckled under his breath while he bear-hugged you tighter to his much taller frame, almost lifting you off the ground as you giggled with the remark that your father was embarrassing you before he chuckled again and ruffled your hair, retorting back that it was his job to occasionally embarrass but always protect his child. Nodding in agreement with him, you and your adoptive father exchanged a tender glance before he noticed an uneasiness about you. Nothing seemed to be too stressful in your life as you lived a happy life with adoptive parents who loved you as their own and a village who accepted you, a non-native. But then again, Bayek was used to dealing with stressful situations in his sacred occupation as a Medjay and what affected you strongly could very well be a norm to your adoptive father. Furthermore, you were a Medjay exposed to stressful situations and you were a woman in the prime of her life, with young men constantly being drawn to you and being turned away by your protective father every other day while jealous females ready for marriage teased you for being ‘a pale Siwan.’ Taking all these factors into consideration, Bayek was compassionate and vigilant in his approach to his inquiry of your behavior, “My queen, you don’t seem like yourself. Is there something on your mind that you want to tell or ask me?”

“There is, Papo, but I don’t want to disappoint you.” 

“I highly doubt that because you have made me so proud of you. Every day I watched you grow was a joy and to see you as a young woman now, to see you become a Medjay and a citizen of Siwa...It warms my heart to see you so grown up but it saddens me that it all happened so fast.” Bayek explained as you gasped out a ‘Papo’ with tears in your eyes. You knew Aya and Bayek loved you and that you loved them; they were basically your second set of parents and you were their daughter by rights of adoption. You knew they were proud of you and all your accomplishments up to this point. But to just hear your father say all those compliments in that manner, whether he was alone with you or in public for hundreds of Siwans to hear, it was enough to warm a daughter’s heart and bring her to tears. After giving a gentle pat of his hand to your shoulder, he beckoned you to follow him to the outskirts of Siwa where ebony stones stood tall in the golden sands to form a circle, which was further illuminated by the orange glow of the setting sun. Sauntering behind him like a duckling to its mother, Bayek eventually plopped himself down on the sand and beckoned you to join him as you plopped down with your legs crossed in front of you. Awaiting your answer in silence as he kept his golden brown gaze on you, you noticed that you had never encountered this location of Siwa before in all your tasks as a Medjay, which caused your eyes to dart around in curiosity, “I’ve never been here to this area of Siwa before. What is this place?” 

“I never brought you here during your training as a Medjay, did I?” Bayek chuckled as you nodded with your own giggles before the darker-skinned man mused to himself, “I always meant to take you here while you were training, but I always forgot to get around to it...To answer your question as to where we are, this is a Stone Circle, where one can see constellations in the night sky. Specifically, the constellation of Amun can be seen really well here in Siwa.” 

“So you like to stargaze?”

“Yes, you could call it a hobby or past-time of mine. My grandfather stargazed with my father during his Medjay training and my father did the same with me when I was first training as a Medjay. So now, my precious daughter, I wish to pass on the tradition with you since you are now an official Medjay.”

“Aww, Papo.” You replied as you rubbed your covered wrist against your eyes, which were filling with tears from Bayek’s kind words and his fatherly gestures. In the same breath, Bayek pat your shoulder tenderly with glassy eyes of his own that seemed to be filling up with tears upon seeing his daughter cry in happiness before he pulled you into his arms so he could hold you close and never let go of his baby girl. Wrapping your arms around him too, you both stargazed together with eyes widened in awe at the beauty of the stars and hearts touched by the warmth of the love a father had for his daughter. 

After a few moments of stargazing, you felt comfortable enough to reveal your inner-most thoughts to your father, Bayek. It would be really taking a risk since you had a crush on his childhood best friend who was 7 years your senior and Bayek was very protective of his little girl. Bayek could get angrily overprotective and turn Hepzefa away from a romantic relationship with you. However, there was also the chance that Bayek would allow the relationship because Hepzefa was a good friend and even an overprotective father liked to see his daughter be happy with whoever she chose to love. So it was no wonder that you finally felt ready to tell Bayek about the crush as you called out, “Papo? Can I tell you something?”

“Of course, my Medjay queen.”

“I...I have fallen in love with a man in the village, but I was too scared to tell you and Mater. I just didn’t know how you two would react to my secret crush and I don’t know yet if he likes me back or if he’s just like the others who flirt with me and then move on to the next girl.” You admitted bashfully with vocals silenced and eyes becoming downcast after telling Bayek the truth before your father gasped, eyes wide and a wide smile upon his visage, “Really? (Name), I’m happy for you. But why don’t you know if the man likes you back?”

“I haven’t told him in person. I mean, we exchange glances in public and then turn away giggling and blushing like children. But we’ve never been alone to talk together.” 

“Well, it sounds to me like he really likes you too.” 

“But how do you know?”

“You wanna know something?” Bayek asked as you nodded and turned to make proper eye contact with him before your father told his story, “When I met your mother, my beautiful Aya, it was as if time stopped and all the sunlight was shining just on her to make her stand out in the Siwan crowd. I couldn’t even get one word out when we first met because I was so nervous. She was so beautiful that I was left speechless.” 

“Really? That’s so sweet.” 

“She was the best thing that ever happened to me. And now, you are the best thing that has happened to us.” Bayek replied as he secured his gargantuan hand to your tinier shoulder with sparkling golden brown irises gazing into your soul while you grabbed his hand with glassy (Eye Color) eyes and a closed grin that trembled lightly as if a wave of tears were sure to follow. Resting your forehead against your father’s as you both closed your eyes in unison, you and Bayek shared a tender moment before your father pulled away from you with some good advice, “Talk to this man to see if he really loves you or if he’s just like the other boys who worship the very ground you walk on until they find another girl.” 

“While I enjoy the attention the other men give me, I suspect they have no intention of marrying me and that they’re just in love with me because of my looks...But this man I fell in love with, I think he’s the real thing.” You admitted with the innocent giggles of a teen-aged woman before Bayek grinned back, “Well, whenever he’s ready for your mother and I’s blessing, he’s always welcome to our home for dinner.” 

“Of course. But let’s not get ahead of ourself, Papo. I don’t even know if he loves me back yet.” You joked as you shoved your father’s arm so his side crashed into the golden sand before a boisterous laugh exited his shaking shoulders while he retorted back, “What? I can’t give my opinion on your marriage and my grandkids?” After a few moments of laughing together under the stars, you and Bayek stood up from the sand before your father suggested you get back home for dinner. Nodding in agreement, you followed your father back to the house as Aya greeted you both at the door before you gave a wink to your mother, remarking aloud that you told your father about the crush. With understanding lining her features as she gazed at you and her beloved husband, who nodded back in agreement towards your statement before remarking that he would await the mystery man whenever he was ready, Aya winked back at you with a smile that showed nothing but genuine mischievousness and congratulations towards you before she sauntered across the floor to give Bayek a passionate kiss. Then, sitting down together for a meal, you and your parents exchanged friendly conversation and funny stories of old before you retired to your bed early to dream of Hepzefa and your plan to speak with him alone. Waving you goodnight, Bayek and Aya cleaned up the dishes together as they kissed in-between tasks before they retired to bed as well. 

Several days had passed since you had told Aya and Bayek about your crush, and they were hoping that your crush would accept your love. By a sheer stroke of luck, Hepzefa came to visit your home every day since Aya and Bayek were engaging in errands, meaning they wouldn’t be back for a while and that you were alone. And since you knew that Aya and Bayek had personally asked Hepzefa to look after you while they were gone, you didn’t mind letting him inside the home. After a few moments of asking each other how you were doing, Hepzefa got up the courage to ask you to go ibex and gazelle hunting with him since he was acting as Medjay for the village while your parents were gone. Apparently, a blacksmith needed leather and horns for armor but he was too busy working on his customers’ requests to get the raw materials himself. It was as if the perfect opportunity to get Hepzefa alone was dropped right in your lap, so you just had to take it. Not to say that you and Hepzefa had not seen each other around the village and exchanged in your normal coquettish games of glancing and turning away with red blushes and childish giggles, but that was in public with others around. Now, for the first time in months, you and Hepzefa were alone. 

Therefore, you took Hepzefa up on his kind offer after asking why he wanted you to accompany him, to which he responded that he could’ve gone alone and gotten the task done by now but that he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to spend time with you. Hearing that cemented your determination to tell him that you loved him, which confirmed that he really did care about you. Whether he was just a nice guy or a true marriage partner, only Hepzefa could reveal that through his words and deeds. After locking up the house, Hepzefa followed you to the tall grass outside the village where many gazelle hopped around like graceful ballerinas before they stopped to have a drink in the lake. Crawling and tip-toeing through the brush ever so slowly while you and Hepzefa split up to cover more ground, you managed to get at a perfect angle to take a shot as you loaded your bow with an arrow, pulled back, and lined up the aim. Closing one eye to center your depth perception, you eventually smirked silently as the arrow aligned square in the center of the gazelle, which would produce a fatal shot once it was released, before you took a few deep inhales and exhales to center yourself. Satisfied with your position, you loosed the arrow as it whistled through the air and flew into the gazelle, causing the poor creature to shriek as its other companions twisted their heads around towards the tall grass with widened eyes full of fear. Collapsing to the ground in a heavy heap, the other gazelles took off galloping into the distance to evade danger after watching one of their ranks die right in front of them before Hepzefa managed to loose his own arrow from the grass, catching another gazelle in the grips of Death as it tripped over its own feet and collapsed in a heavy heap. Popping up out of the grass together, you and Hepzefa collected your kills as you salvaged your arrows before you and the older man high-fived each other in congratulations for a good start to a hunt. However, you still needed two or three more gazelle pelts and some ibex horns to satisfy the blacksmith’s request since he needed more materials to make armor. 

Sure enough, an ibex sauntered close without noticing you and Hepzefa as you shushed your hunting partner and crouched low to ground without making noise, causing the male to follow suit. Taking your time as you loaded the bow again, drew back your arm tight, and lined up the aim, you inhaled and exhaled slowly again to avoid making noise as you kept your body still before you loosed the arrow. With another shriek in the air, the large ibex crashed against the ground as Hepzefa verbally congratulated you for the victory before he lifted you into the air by the waist, causing you to gasp as you locked your arms around his neck before you started giggling playfully. Without even thinking, Hepzefa had acted. But after a few moments of retrospective thought, Hepzefa realized what he did as he slowly lowered you to the ground with a nervous expression on his youthful face. Rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to play it off as a coincidental accident, you shook your head and waved your hands in protest in front of Hepzefa before you intentionally came closer to the man, planting a tender kiss against his dark brown cheek that quickly silenced his apology. After giving him a small smile and a wink, you knelt down to the ground to find tracks that could lead you to some more ibex and gazelle before you beckoned Hepzefa to follow you. Staring in a daze at you with widened eyes as if he were suffering from fatal arrhythmia, Hepzefa quickly realized that you both still had a job to do as he cleared his head and sauntered after you. But as he trailed behind, the man couldn’t help but stroke his cheek, warmth from your kiss still caressing his dark caramel skin as he closed his eyes and savored the genuine emotions you had behind the gesture. Without even realizing it, that kiss was enough to confirm suspicions of affections and reciprocated feelings for each other. It only made you and Hepzefa smile at each other every so often before you managed to find the gazelles and the ibex again, this time at a different watering hole. 

Crouching down and drawing back the bow in a perfect aim, you and Hepzefa got into position as you both took a few deep breathes, waiting patiently for the animals to turn so their heart was within range before you both loosed the arrows swiftly in perfect synchronization. Like two acrobats flying through the air on silk ropes in a circus act, the three arrows (two from you and one from him) stuck into the ibex and the two gazelles as painful cries echoed in the air. Popping up from your hiding spots in the tall grass, you and Hepzefa knelt down in front of the slain prey as you prepared the animals for transport back to the village by tying the sacks of prey to your camels. 

Riding back together to the oasis of Siwa, you and Hepzefa hopped off your camels and took your prey back to market where the blacksmith was patiently awaiting your return. With a soft smile, the blacksmith thanked you and Hepzefa for your help before he asked you to remain where you were standing since he had a special surprise for you. After a few minutes of rummaging around in a chest, the man produced two special weapons for the both of you: A sword that could ignite into flames once unsheathed for Hepzefa and a pair of decorated short daggers for you. With soft gasps, you and Hepzefa asked if the man was sure, to which he gave a nod and said it was proper repayment for you both delivering more than enough materials to him in a reasonable amount of time. Thanking the male blacksmith for his kindness, you and Hepzefa were well on your way as the older man escorted you back to your home. 

Once inside the doorway, you thanked Hepzefa for such a lovely day of hunting as he thanked you for the good company before you offered to make him dinner and let him spend the night. After all, your parents asked him to be your personal bodyguard while they were out of town, and it was nearly pitch black outside. Besides, you knew you both were tired from the hunt and would want a hot meal and a warm bed to indulge in for the night. You believed Hepzefa wouldn’t take you up on the offer. You believed that maybe he wouldn’t be interested. But as soon as the request came from your lips, Hepzefa was quick to offer an affirmative reaction as he remarked that as your body guard for the time being until Bayek and Aya returned, he would be honored to spend time with you if you asked. He also made a small joke about “being a weary body guard in need of his Siwan queen and her hospitality.” This never failed to make you laugh as you tossed your head back with closed eyes while Hepzefa chuckled too before you both sat down at the table to have a proper meal before bed. 

For several weeks, you and Hepzefa spent more time together in Siwa with him as your personal bodyguard as you both acted as the Medjay of the village for the time being during your adoptive parents’ absence. The more time spent together, the more close you and Hepzefa became. Within a few weeks time, you and Hepzefa saw each other in a deeper, more intimate light. Not like adoptive uncle and niece, but like significant others, brought together by true love. 

Within those few weeks spent together, a letter of urgency reached you just in time as Senu flew right to your shoulder and dropped it into your lap. After feeding her some meaty treats and giving her a good pet on the head, you read the letter aloud as Hepzefa asked what was wrong, noticing a stark contrast in your usual mood. Breathless with dropped jaw and eyes widened by fear, you scurried to your horse as you tightened the reins while Hepzefa followed behind, “(Name), what’s wrong? Is everything alright?”

“Bayek and Aya are in trouble. Sabu is dead, and Bayek and Aya went to find Grandfather’s killer. I have to help my parents right away, and I can’t do that by staying here in Siwa.”

“Who killed Sabu? Who’s doing this?” 

“A killer intent on wiping out all the Medjay. Papo said that bandits attacked Siwa once when he was a child, but that Grandmother Ahmose and Grandfather Sabu killed most of them off except one...Maybe he or someone he hired is behind this.”

“I’ll go with you.” Hepzefa nodded in strict determination as he tightened the reins on his horse before fear filled you again, this time for your crush’s safety. Grabbing his arm as he hopped onto his steed, you shook your head as you pleaded with widened eyes and a breathless whisper, “No, Hepzefa. They’re my parents; I have to go alone. Someone needs to protect the village.” 

“Rabiah and the other young men can protect Siwa in our absence. But I’m not leaving your parents to die out there. They need us, all of us.” Hepzefa explained as he cupped your face with one hand, squeezing your shoulder with the other hand. Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves as you gazed into Hepzefa’s golden-brown irises, you realized he was right. Four Medjays were better than two. And if a professional murderer was trying to erase the Medjay from the world, then Bayek needed all the help he could get to find and avenge his father’s killer. It was the least you could do as his adoptive daughter and as a budding Medjay. So, after giving Hepzefa a nod, you watched the man nod back to you in silent agreement before you both ushered your horses to the road out of Siwa, returning to your village only if either Sabu’s killer was dead or with all of you dead. 

For many days and nights, you and Hepzefa traveled with Bayek and Aya to hunt down Sabu’s killer Bion with the help of a Nubian woman named Kensa and an orphaned boy named Tuta. During the journey, you protected each other from many attacks in many fights, with you often shooting off an arrow first with goddess-perfect accuracy before Hepzefa would feel a knife or axe to the heart. But when Hepzefa nearly put his life on the line to lift a shield above his head and force you to crouch under him so you would both be safe, that proved all you needed to know about how he cared for you. Zoning out in the moment as it reminded you of how your tutor and uncle protected you on the day your childhood home was attacked, the gaze in Hepzefa’s eyes told you everything. He WANTED to protect you. He WANTED to put his life on the line for YOU. Hepzefa was not normally a reckless combatant and you knew this from many hunting and training encounters. But around you, Hepzefa would’ve done ANYTHING to protect you. That also proved to Aya and Bayek how much he loved you as they saw in his eyes that he saw you as more than an adoptive niece, who watched from afar after the dust of battle cleared and Bion fell, in his final moments revealing that an organization known as the Order of the Ancients contracted him to wipe out all Medjay in exchange for money and power. Just seeing you with Hepzefa, relieved that everyone was alright as you nursed Hepzefa’s arm by popping the bone back into place as he hissed under his breath and you apologized prettily. As he cleaned off splattered blood (of which was not your own) from your plump cheeks with a wet cloth, you found yourself staring into his golden-brown irises as he made occasional eye contact before turning away with a chaste blush, slowly lifting your hand to his cheek as you stroked your thumb back and forth across his scorching, caramel-hued skin. Grabbing your hand in his, Hepzefa stroked his thumb across the back of your palm before you whispered a thank you to the man for saving your life. Giving a nod back to you, Hepzefa stared down at you lovingly as he replied, “(Name)?”

“Yes, Hepzefa?”

“I...You...I think you may have noticed how I feel about you. I just want you to know that you are the best decision I ever made and that I love you.”

“Really? Even when I’m a pale non-Siwan? Even when I wear a wig and change my name to hide my identity from those who would dare hunt me?” 

“In spite of your bloodline’s heritage, I think you are the most beautiful non-Siwan woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. You may be Greek, Roman, and Jewish and you may be paler than the other peers you have here in the village...But I’ve only had eyes for you. Besides, your real name and your paler features, they’re more appealing to me...Enchanting and goddess-like even.” 

“Hepzefa, you wanna know something? For a while now, I had a crush on you and didn’t know how to tell you. I feared rejection from you...But now, I’m not afraid anymore.” You replied as Hepzefa continued to gaze upon you lovingly, occasionally brushing strands of hair from your face, before you pulled the man into a kiss by grabbing his collar. With widened eyes, Hepzefa stared down at you as you kissed him with eyes fluttered shut before he slowly relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around your waist. From a distance, Bayek and Aya gasped with chuckles escaping their lips at how rash your kiss seemed before they relaxed at seeing you and Hepzefa so happy together. After a few beats in time, Bayek leaned close to Aya before he asked, “So, does this mean Hepzefa is her secret lover?” 

“Mmm-hmm.” 

“So I guess he is both our friend and son-in-law...Still won’t stop me from being overprotective of my daughter or asking about grandchildren.” Bayek shrugged as Aya giggled while slapping her husband’s biceps, which were pleasantly wrapped around her clothed belly, before he kissed her cheek and congratulated his wife on caring his child. 

It was now a public declaration of courtship and parenthood, spread to all of Siwa. You and Hepzefa were finally an item after a while of courtships based on crushes. Sure, a few Siwan women were overcome with jealousy that a strong Siwan man chose an outsider. But they eventually found other Siwan men to be their husbands and quickly forgot about you. As far as your adoptive parents were concerned, Aya and Bayek managed to carry and birth a beautiful son, your adoptive baby brother Khemu. Just seeing you with Khemu made you and Hepzefa grow closer, eventually discussing marriage and children in the course of your caring relationship. It also brought you closer to your adoptive parents, who enjoyed seeing you with your baby brother and your adorable, kind-hearted lover. Overall, your new life in Siwa was one that you were proud to have, even if your uncles Apollodorus and Phanos were not around daily to witness your happiness in sisterhood, Medjay occupation, and young love. However, your many letters kept them as up to date as possible and they remarked with nothing short of sincere congratulations and declarations of longing to see you again as a beautiful dame, stronger and wiser than you were as a pre-teen; your letters also expressed longing to see them again and nearly brought you to tears every time you wrote to them or read what they wrote to you. And all the while, your family and your lover helped you through those homesick feelings you had for your uncles with vast amounts of social support and love. But especially Hepzefa, who became your main confidant whenever life started to get you down. In time, marriage and children were sure to follow in the solid foundation you and Hepzefa built in your relationship and then your dreams of a loving family of your own would be completed. And with the current course of the relationship you and Hepzefa shared, that future seemed guaranteed.


	17. Assassin’s Creed - Deimos x Fem! Reader - Artemis & Apollo; Archery & Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings, everyone. This is Sakuraaeris1497. I know it’s been so long since I’ve written something, so I decided to go back to the Deimos story since their adventures with you the reader (The Athenian noblewoman Krysanthe) have only just begun. Therefore, I’d like to present the next chapter. Please enjoy and as always, comments and requests are welcome. 
> 
> Fair warning: This chapter will be very long so please bear with me. I wanted to include everything here rather than split them up into two separate oneshots along this storyline because it made sense for Krysanthe. Also just to rehash from the last oneshot, the relationship Krysanthe shares with the male Deimos is a romantic one while the relationship she shares with the female Deimos is a platonic friendship.

Alexios! Deimos Version

It had been a few years since you had been taken to the Sanctuary at Delphi, the origins of the Cult of Kosmos. You knew not of the whereabouts of your siblings, although there were rumors of a naval captain resembling your brother Zale being seen somewhere off the coast of Mykonos with a crew of his own Athenian soldiers gone rogue in order to fight the Cult. The Cult even thought they had caught your sister only to realize it was just an innocent civilian, leading them to release her with a bag of drachmae and the threat to keep quiet or else suffer deadly consequences. This still gave you hope that your family would defeat the Cult and come back for you. This still made you continue to push on, for your siblings and your people. You had to stay strong for them; you couldn’t give up now. Your father and the Cult was very pleased by your obedience, so more privileges were given to you by the leaders of the Cult even though some of those associated with your captors believed you would somehow betray them. But how would you? If you even tried to run or form a coup, you would be caught and executed as soon as you told someone your plans in confidence. That’s why you remained silent and meek, trying your best to please those who distrusted you and be a good companion to Deimos. 

In those few years you spent with Deimos, you rarely saw him due to his long hours of heavy training. However, what little you did see of him, you tried your best to be kind and stay out of his way as you helped mend his clothes, clean your shared room, and cook some of his meals. Hypervigilance was your friend and carelessness was your enemy, so you took the utmost care not to set Deimos off. He didn’t have the best control over his temper or his fists, after all. Even the members of the Cult remarked at how strong and unpredictable Deimos was as a child and that they feared what he would become now that he was a grown man. However, in all the time you spent with him, he never once laid a harmful hand on you. It was actually a breath of fresh air in comparison to the harsh, cold, bitterness of your father and his unhappy home, especially after your mother died for unknown reasons when you were just a child. On one particular evening, Deimos came into the shared room with you as he shed himself of his heavy, golden armor while you portioned a hearty soup into bowls for yourself and your companion. Setting the bowls down on the stones that acted as a makeshift table and chairs, you bowed your head low for the man as you greeted him warmly, your beauty fully blossomed into that of a grown woman of your day and age, “Good evening, Deimos. How was your training?”

“Same as usual. Weak little sheep walking into a lion’s slaughter...I’m surprised they were even recruited.” Deimos huffed as he pulled off the last piece of armor from his chest and laid it down in the corner of the room nearby while you kept yourself tight-lipped until a thoughtful response could be crafted in your head. You really didn’t want to incur the wrath of Deimos with a response that would trigger him, so you chose your next words carefully. A mistake in syntax and semantics might become the dried ink on your death sentence. Taking a deep breath, you looked to Deimos sincerely as you scooted his soup bowl over to him before you answered in an innocent tone, “I’m sorry you had a boring day. I hope a formidable opponent comes to face you soon.” A beat of silence followed your response, then another. All you could hear was your heart pounding in your chest, and not in a good way. Was it better that Deimos was silent after you spoke? Not necessarily. The eeriness of him not giving a direct answer always made you more nervous since you never knew what to expect with him. It would’ve been better if he would’ve just answered at a decent pace like a normal person. However, it always seemed like Deimos was testing your answers every time, looking for any shred of dishonesty or deceit in your words or actions only to find none, regardless of how many times he tested you upon your arrival. To you, it was a matter of life and death. To Deimos, it was a matter of loyalty or betrayal. At long last, Deimos’s answer came as soon as the breath was inhaled into your body, awaiting harm or a need to be afraid, while he nodded slowly with the slightest smirk, “My thoughts exactly. Shall we eat, cry baby?” 

“O-Oh, yes, of course. You must be hungry.” You nodded meekly as you and Deimos sat down to dine on the soup you made fresh today with ingredients you were allowed to purchase in the market with a Cult member as an escort. Eating in silence with only a few candlelights around to illuminate the cavern room, you sipped from your bowl while Deimos slurped bits of his meal, causing you to watch shyly with wide eyes and a giggle that you managed to hold back before he exhaled in relief and wiped his mouth with the back of his bare hand. Staring down at you with golden brown irises, Deimos watched your every move before he commented, “Cry baby?”

“Yes, my almighty Deimos?” You answered back to the nickname he devised for you based on the pronunciation of your name. You hated that he called you that since when you felt, you did so deeply, whether it was laughing, crying, shouting, or screaming. But what were you to do? Arguing might make him angry and you could only imagine what he might do to you if you argued. You heard what he did to his enemies; you didn’t want to suffer a similar fate. However, Deimos was soft in his approach of talking to you as he questioned you, “Where did you learn how to cook like this? This soup is actually edible, not like the slop the military men force me and others like me to eat.”

“Really? Thank you.” You nodded as you stroked a stray golden curl behind your ear before answering back, “Mom taught me and my sister some of her recipes but due to our noble status, we also had servants who cooked and they taught us if we asked. The soup recipe was my mother’s...I was worried you might not like it, but I noticed you weren’t eating a lot so I wanted to give you a properly cooked meal. I do hope it really is to your liking.”

“It is, otherwise, I would say the opposite.” Deimos answered as he slurped from the bowl again while you grinned warmly at his kind words. It wasn’t often that Deimos had kind words even though his actions towards you were always gentle. You didn’t know why he was always so nice to you except because of a direct order to not break you since he would only get one reward, one you. But there was something about his actions, a small hint that maybe, just maybe, he actually did enjoy your company and wanted you to stick around. Perhaps, under all that golden armor and that stone-cold exterior, maybe there was an interior full of warmth complete with a heart. Maybe, all Deimos wanted was a friend, a lifelong partner despite his tainted reputation all across the Greek world. Rather than question it, you just went with it and enjoyed the kindness in peace. After eating his first bowl, Deimos asked if you could get him another helping, which you did without question as you handed the steaming pottery to the brunette before he took another sip. Taking another sip of soup while you stared at the soldier in front of you, clad in nothing but a black exomis and dusty, plain sandals with the only golden armor existing on his person being the ones on his shins, you noticed Deimos’s bow propped up beside his armor. It was in plain view but shimmering like a king’s staff, with accents of gold complimenting some red and blue paint that decorated the dark brown wood. Patterns of red orbs and triangles inside the blue quickly caught your eye as you found yourself mesmerized by the bow and the accompanying quiver of arrows. However, you kept tight-lipped about the beautiful bow since it wasn’t your place to speak about such a weapon since you were a lady and it didn’t belong to you. You also thought it best to not speak unless directed to by Deimos or someone else, as you felt it would be rude to speak out of turn. Deimos seemed to notice how your eyes diverted from your food, the table, or his own piercing gaze to the bow as he made a sideways glance towards the weapon before turning back to you. Taking another sip of soup before wiping his mouth again, Deimos scanned you up and down before he asked, “What’re you staring at, woman?” 

“Oh, nothing. Just your bow and quivers, my almighty Deimos.” You answered honestly as your gaze never left that of the man in front of you before he probed further to see into your state of mind, “And what reason do you have for doing so?” Perhaps you were staring at it for a calculated plan, maybe to try to kill him with his own weapon and attempt to escape. Deimos had to be sure your innocence wouldn’t be his undoing. You just had to be thinking of a way to kill him and find your freedom. Everyone else he ever knew always betrayed him, so why wouldn’t you do the same? To him, people couldn’t be trusted. He had seen the world and its cruelties, felt its pain, so what made you any different? However, your loyalty to him for the sake of your siblings and your people was as evident as his lust for power and blood as you answered honestly to avoid making him angry if you tried to lie. It was one of your best qualities that he secretly enjoyed, your honesty no matter how brutal, “It just looked so beautiful and well-crafted, I couldn’t help myself. Forgive me. I won’t look at it anymore if that’s what you wish.” 

With a wave of his open-palmed hand in the air, Deimos cut you off from speaking as your gaze stared down at the ground, occasionally glancing under your lashes at the man’s next move while he rose from the table. Closing your eyes, you expected to be hit as you prepared to shield yourself from the blow by getting ready to raise your arms above your head until you felt something cold press against your cheek. Fluttering your eyes open, you noticed that Deimos’s bow was pointed in your face as he shrugged, “You liked it so much. Here, take it, hold it.” Stunned was an understatement to how you were feeling right now. Perplexed would be a better description. Whether he was playing a game or not, holding it out like the trees of fruit above or the waters below Tantalus only to take it away to not allow satisfaction for hunger or thirst, you didn’t know. However, when he gave a direct order, he usually wasn’t playing a game; he meant business and it had to be done correctly and quickly or else his rage would be awakened. That’s why, in your hesitation, you took the bow from him with trembling, drenched palms as you twirled it around in your hands. In the meanwhile, Deimos kept a careful eye on you with a piqued interest. What made the moment even more touching as you spent countless seconds examining the bow was when Deimos saw you smile for the first time in all the years he had known you. You had never once laughed or smiled since becoming a prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos. But to be handed a bow with explicit permission to look at it in detail, it elated you even if it was something as simple as looking at the secondary weapon of the feared soldier. Upon seeing your smile, Deimos felt something he had never felt before. He just knew you were different and that you wouldn’t betray him. Your many kindnesses were not a mask that would be used against him to kill him later when his guard was down. Your actions and words were never contradictory to how you truly felt, not even phony. You were loyal and obedient to him, maybe for a valid reason of protecting your people and your siblings and because you feared his temper, but it still didn’t change the fact that you could be trusted. Your innocence was not an act; it was as pure as the clearest waters in all of Greece. Unlike all the others he encountered and was screwed over by, you gifted Deimos with things he never thought would be attainable, given his status as a hardened soldier and feared Cultist...Hope, happiness, warmth, kindness. Some things the man had never known until you came along. 

Giving a small smirk without your knowledge at your happiness, Deimos watched your reactions to the bow before he spoke, as if his tone was evidence that he was awkward when it came to friendly conversation, “So...How do you know about bows? I always assumed ladies weren’t concerned with weaponry or the ways of war.” 

“Well, usually they are, but my brother is an Athenian naval captain. However, you already know that.” You answered honestly as you twirled the bow around in your hand, commenting on how balanced the weight was on the weapon and how tight the string was fastened or how intricate the design was, before Deimos nodded, “Yes, my Cult and I are aware of his military status. But you didn’t answer my question. How do you know about bows?”

“My brother taught me archery. We both knew others couldn’t always protect me, so I had to learn how to defend myself if such an event came to pass...I was raised as a lady and taught all basic household chores such as needlework, medicine, cleaning, cooking, literature, and the Arts. But I had one skill associated with a man, and the only weaponry I picked up on was archery. So whenever I see a beautifully-crafted bow or arrows, I just can’t help myself.” 

“Prove it to me.” Deimos commanded as your head tilted to the side and your (Eye Color) irises widened, a visible curl forming on your lips, with the next question you gave him, “Prove what?” 

“You said your brother taught you archery. Prove it to me tomorrow, at the crack of dawn. I’d like to see for myself what a woman like you can do.” Deimos declared his second command of the night to you as your ears and your mind comprehended what he was asking of you. That request really threw you for a loop. It had been years, years, since you had last shot a bow and arrow with your siblings by your side, especially Zale, your main archery instructor and your elder brother. Sure, you knew about archery and the basics of how to aim and shoot, but you were by no means as skilled as a warrior like Deimos. You just didn’t want to disappoint or anger him with your inadequacy at such a craft of war. You were raised a highborn lady of Athens and only knew the skill of archery as a means of self-defense, not for personal reasons such as voluntary combat or hunting. You were not a hardened soldier like Deimos, and yet he wanted you to prove yourself. Prove yourself...Yet another test of your loyalty to him. Suppose you went to do the archery and were deemed insufficient? What would he do to to your people, to your brother and sister? But more importantly, what would he do to you? Thousands of ‘what ifs’ filled your head in an endless mantra as fear paused your every movement, constricted your throat of oxygen and of sound, never ceasing its iron grip on you. But you refused to let Deimos see your fear, even when he could sense it better than anyone. If Deimos saw your fear, he would think you were weak and possibly have no use for you. You could not be weak or else your departure to Hades would be imminent. You had to be strong. You had to succeed at archery; it was the only warrior’s skill you were actually good at. Therefore, you accepted Deimos’s challenge without a stutter in your lips or a frightened tremble in your bones as you nodded, “Alright, at dawn tomorrow, I’ll accompany you to training. I just hope I prove to be deemed worthy of Artemis and Apollo’s blessings.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you were worthy, now would you?” Deimos questioned while you nodded your head again, “Yes, I think so.” With golden curls framing your face and fanning out over your shoulders, the tiniest grin graced your cheeks as you gazed into golden brown orbs with your own (Eye Color) ones. It seemed to have some kind of effect on Deimos as he found himself mesmerized and confused at the same time by the way you stared back at him. It was a poker face you often used to not show Deimos your fear since he told you that you reeked of it when you first met. Saving face was what you did best, especially against those you deemed as enemies. Your innocent demeanor just made it easier to do so since no one suspected cunning and strategy from a lady, and certainly not from an Athenian noblewoman. It seemed as though you were able to fool even Deimos into thinking you weren’t terrified, which seemed to confuse the man even more considering his perceptions were usually never wrong as he shook his head wildly before giving you a suggestion that didn’t sound anything at all like an order, “I’m gonna get some air...You should get some rest. I don’t like people who are late.” 

“Of course, after I clear away the dishes...Good night, my almighty Deimos.” You replied as you went to work doing what you promised by cleaning off the pottery with fresh water while the soldier left the room to ground himself again. Grinning once again at the fact that you were alone, you dusted yourself off from cleaning the room you shared with Deimos before going to your bedside on your knees. Closing your eyes as you clasped your hands in front of you, prayers to the twins Apollo and Artemis escaped your lips in solemn whispers, pleading for help in your archery trials. You also prayed to Persephone, Hades’s queen, for safe passage into Elysium to be reunited with your mother and siblings if Deimos decided your fate was to end in death. You only hoped your wishes would be granted, one way or another. After saying your prayers, you crawled into bed and covered yourself up, singing the lullaby of your childhood to yourself as your eyes fluttered shut. In the meanwhile, Deimos walked around an inner chamber of the cave, pacing back and forth in front of the pyramid artifact, with its golden beams illuminating the waves of brown that sat on his head, adorned with beads that shone like his armor. Something about you was intriguing to him, despite being so chaste, so much from a different world than him. You were an Athenian noblewoman raised as a proper lady aside from the one skill of archery you possessed thanks to your elder brother’s militaristic teachings, with the only pains suffered being the death of your mother, the separation from your siblings, and the cruelties of your father. He was a leader for the Cult and an overall mystery, hardened by the ways of the world and of war. You represented life; he represented death. Two people who were never supposed to encounter each other were somehow brought together by Fate. But the more Deimos thought about you, the more time he spent with you, the warmer his heart became. It was as if the cold, dark winter that shattered and hardened his heart was being melted away and put back together by your motherly presence, your kindness amplified by your warmth like a spring day filled with flora, fauna, and golden sunshine. Even though you were here for a good reason and by order of your father, you did come to Deimos’s stead of your own volition. That had to count for something in Deimos’s mind. If your sister and brother could escape Athens and disappear to never be seen again, you could’ve easily gone with them if you wanted. But you said it yourself: Archery was the only skill you knew. That alone wouldn’t serve you well in the real world aside from long distance combat and hunting; you’d be dead or captured if that was the case. Maybe that was why you stayed here with Deimos, even when you feared him. Maybe you knew you wouldn’t survive out there on your own, so you had no choice but to come here. But you did it willingly and you proved to be nothing but loyal to Deimos since you came here. This is why he had no fear or thoughts of betrayal when it came to you. But as Deimos became closer to you, it was evident he enjoyed your company despite his awkwardness and that he wanted to protect you. It had nothing to do with the fact that you were gifted to him by the Cult. Sure, you were his reward, but while he sparked fear in others including you, the one quality you did admire about him was his restraint and patience when it came to you. The fact that he never harmed you seemed to make you fear him less, and that hope that he felt around you...It seemed to strengthen as you became more comfortable around him. With that, Deimos walked back to the room he shared with you as he closed the door behind him before catching sight of your sleeping form. As if he was staring at you like he did the first time he ever saw you sleep in this room, Deimos’s eyes widened and his mouth closed aside from the two front teeth that rested against his bottom lip. Moving to the wall where his armor laid to rest his back against the stone, Deimos watched you sleep from afar as he rested his wrists against his knee caps, his eyes never leaving you. Deimos desperately wanted to get closer; he desperately wanted to be able to feel your touch. If your touch was as gentle as your voice, words, or actions, then Deimos definitely wanted to know what that kind of gentleness could feel like. It didn’t even have to be a grand gesture like a kiss or a hug. Even just a hand to hold would be enough to satisfy Deimos’s hunger for even one act of kindness and gentle touch. However, Deimos didn’t want to push his luck and scare you off. It took a few years to get you comfortable enough to show him kindness by making a home-cooked meal and sitting down with him since he had been too busy and away for weeks on end to do so. Therefore, all Deimos did in order to feel closer to you was move slowly towards you one inch before laying down to sleep. No bed roll, no blanket, nothing. Deimos didn’t need the comforts of civilian life. He was a soldier and nothing more, so the life of a nobleman or civilian would not suit him best. In actuality, Deimos didn’t feel deserving of you. You were so pure and sweet and he was just not. You deserved someone, any man, better than him. Even though the id inside Deimos pressed him to believe that he was good enough for you, sometimes he didn’t feel it was so. But for now, Deimos decided to bury those negative thoughts, push those feelings so far down in his mind that he couldn’t readily find them again. For now, he would sleep in peace and just watch from afar as you slumbered in Morpheus’s realm. Perhaps in time, he could get closer without scaring you off and perhaps in time, maybe he would feel more deserving of someone as kind as you. 

The next morning, your eyes snapped open as you shot up from the bed roll before surveying the room, even with your head cloudy and vision hazy. With a yawn as you rubbed your closed eyes of sleep with the back of your hand, you tried to get your bearings as one thing seemed consistent with the many visual sweeps you did of the room. Deimos wasn’t there which could only mean he was already at the training grounds waiting on you. In a panic brought about by your anxiety of angering or disappointing Deimos, you hurried to make yourself presentable by fixing your white sheer dress, sandals, golden snake and pyramid jewelry, and golden curls, not even bothering to look like a lady with the proper cosmetics or care for your appearance. With all your rushing around, you nearly forgot your sandals and made yourself disheveled again. However, you somehow managed as you sprinted to the training grounds. Leaning against the wall for support, your ragged breaths echoed through the halls as you bent over to catch the oxygen that escaped your lungs. If only your siblings could see you now, they’d be laughing their heads off with how out of shape you were. When you were little, you were pretty fast when it came to running. But as a young woman, your speed was lacking due to being out of practice. However, this was no laughing matter when it came to Deimos. Once you could finally breathe again, you entered the training room but found it to be dark aside from the dawn that was trying to make an entrance in the sky above. However, the training room was still beautiful nonetheless as it shone with weapons of all kinds, metals and wood gleaming against the racks that held them. But the arena was the main attraction and it was huge, decorated with yellow and red archery targets left and right. There were even gated galleries all around the arena that allowed passersby to see the action without worrying about a stray arrow hitting them or a fatal side swipe from an axe. Even though you had never seen the inside of an arena before, you knew the basic layout of a training area if your visits to your brother’s military camps were anything to go by. Just seeing all this now reminded you of Zale. You could smell the perspiration of training soldiers, hear the jovial jubilation of war stories or drinking songs from soldiers young and old complete with someone playing a lute or flute, and you could even taste the hearty meals around the campfires. But more importantly, you could see your siblings’ faces clear as day in front of you and feel their bodies near you even though they were so far from Delphi. It was so much, so many fond memories of simpler times, that it made you want to cry. But you refused to do so as Deimos would be here any minute and if weakness was shown, he probably wouldn’t be as merciful as Zale in regards to your archery skills. So you kept the rains of the storm inside you at bay. You would have another time to cry and remember your past, but not now. That would have to wait. 

As if on cue, Deimos arrived into the training room clad in his golden armor as the metallic clacks echoed on the stone floor, sending terror circulating through your spine. But then again, that was Deimos’s namesake, a deity that was symbolic to the very emotion you felt in your heart. However, the only way to combat fear was to rely on inner strength and faith in the other deities. Remembering your prayers to Apollo, Artemis, and Persephone from the other night, a spark of courage ignited inside you as you faced the man, greeting him kindly with a ‘good morning’ as he greeted you back with a question, “You ready to prove your supposed archery skills to me?” 

Never in your life had you answered Deimos so confidently even though fear nudged you in every direction you could think of in your anxiety-ridden psyche until you nodded, “I’m ready whenever you are.” With a small nod at your sudden boost of confidence despite how humbled your tone sounded when you told him of your preference of archery, Deimos handed you a decorative bow and quiver of arrows that were just as beautiful as his own weapons, which you noticed were strapped to his armored back. Taking a look at the weapons handed to you, you inspected them carefully with sparkling eyes while Deimos’s own orbs scanned your reaction. The grip was gold while the wood was dark brown. Little symbol designs were hand-carved and painted yellow and white into the wood, like a tapestry telling a story from ancient mythology. Pulling on the string to test its strength, it kicked back on you very quickly with a resistance that seemed too powerful for someone as dainty as you, however, it still prompted a gentle nod at how well-crafted the weapon was. But the best part of the weaponry that Deimos presented you with was the arrows, thin dark wood that complimented the bow with metal tips that were so thin and sharp, they were like a kitten’s tooth or a sewing needle, and black and gold feathery decorations to allow the arrows to sail through the air upon their release from the bow. In all honesty, it was as if this bow had been crafted just for you, as it fit your hand perfectly and the bow itself was the most ideal size. Perhaps the twins Apollo and Artemis answered your prayers after all, or maybe, Deimos had the bow made for you just for this challenge. 

Stepping behind you, Deimos crossed his arms over his chest with a narrowed expression that indicated harsh judgement before he directed you to hit the target in front of you. The test had begun and you wanted to pass with flying colors; you had to pass and impress the Cultist soldier. Failure was not an option. Turning around to give a solemn nod to Deimos, you swiveled forward as you pulled your golden curls back, braiding them into a makeshift ponytail to keep your hair out of your face. Once your vision was completely clear, you strapped on the quiver to your back and swiped an arrow out of the leather pouch. Nocking the arrow slowly as you pulled back on the string, you inhaled deeply as you cleared your head. Anxiety could NOT plague you now. You needed complete quiet and concentration in order to prove yourself to Deimos without making a mistake. Holding your breath as you lined yourself up to aim towards the center of the target, you felt heat pool in your core as your heart thundered in your chest. Thump...thump...thump...thump...The rhythm of your heart as you held your breath increased in speed the longer you withheld oxygen. However, in order to perfect your aim, you had to hold your breath to keep as still as possible so you wouldn’t falter in this endeavor. With a single blink of both eyes, the whistling of the arrow whipped through the air as the bowstring pounded against your hand to make its descent back to its place at the center of the bow. Praying that the arrow would hit its mark with closed eyes as you continuously held the bow up, you and Deimos watched as the slender weaponry soared straight with the speed of Hermes before meeting the target with a loud thump that matched the beat of a drum or a heart. Once again, your heart began to bang wildly in your chest as you awaited Deimos’s response, fearful of his judgement to where the arrow landed. It was almost a perfect shot since it landed on the cusp of the center and the ring close to the center, but it was a pretty good shot considering you were years out of practice from your archery craft. However, Deimos seemed like the type to expect perfection, just as your father did when you were under his roof and expected to live up to his ideals while disregarding your own dreams and wishes. That’s why it was pretty nerve-racking to watch Deimos pace around you with narrowed eyes, like a lion inspecting its prey before pouncing, as he inched closer to the target where the arrow met its mark. Scanning the entirety of the target and the arrows, Deimos kept his expressions hidden from you as you waited patiently from a distance, praying that the soldier wouldn’t be livid that you missed by not even one fourth of an inch. However, Deimos was far from angry at you as he smirked at the finesse of your technique and the fact that someone as delicate as you could hit a target this thick from that far away. An Athenian noblewoman who shouldn’t have been trained in weaponry was actually a good shot...what were the odds? Not only were you trained by your naval captain brother, but you expanded your knowledge of the craft for yourself. This seemed to intrigue Deimos as he smirked again, hoisting the arrow from the target before sauntering back over to your paralyzed form. Was he mad that you didn’t perfectly hit the target’s center? Was he actually pleased with your archery? Was he ambivalent and uncaring? You didn’t know because his face and glaring golden brown orbs betrayed what he actually thought. But it frightened you even more that he wasn’t giving a direct comment about your skills, just taking his sweet time with a menacing gait that was as slow as it was unnerving. To not know what was in his head, to not know his intentions for you, it didn’t set your heart at ease the closer he came in front of you until he was mere inches from you, holding out the arrow to you as if he wanted you to take it from his armored hands. Unsure of what to think, say, or do when faced with Deimos, the only thing you could fathom was that he wanted you to take the arrow from him, leading your hands to meet as the arrow was curled around your fingers. Eyes of gold and eyes of (Eye Color) sparkled in the daylight that permeated the room from the top of the training room, a welcoming sight and warmth in a cavern home plagued by darkness and cold, as Deimos did something you never thought he would do. For the first time in all the years you had known him, Deimos actually nodded at you with a gentle expression even though no hint of a smile was present. Actually, this expression welcomed you in as it finally calmed your anxieties. For once, you reveled in the fact that you didn’t have to fear Deimos and his reaction because Artemis and Apollo answered your prayers; your arrow met its mark and Deimos was pleased. Therefore, you grinned back to express your relieved gratitude that Deimos was pleased with you before he nodded again, “Your brother taught you well; you have good aim.”

“Thank you, my almighty Deimos.” You nodded as you bowed to the man out of respect before the soldier replied, “But there is still room for improvement, if you’re willing to listen since I’ll only say it once.” 

“Of course.” You nodded as you followed the callused hands that beckoned you to come to them so you were back in front of the target again. You had to be sure you were comprehending the events that transpired correctly because it sounded like Deimos was trying to instruct you on how to better your skills in archery. He was pleased that you hit your target but it almost sounded like he was helping you. But why would he do that? You were his reward and you were loyal to him, never trying to escape or deceive him because you held out hope for your siblings coming back for you. One would think that a master wouldn’t give weapons training to their slave; it wouldn’t make the most logical sense. But then again, Deimos always treated you as an equal, even more so than he treated the other heads of the Cult. The members of the Cult were disposable subordinates to him, but you were special and fiercely protected from everyone else by Deimos. Sure, maybe it was because Deimos would only be given one reward and would receive no one else if something happened to you. Or maybe it was because Deimos knew he wouldn’t always be around to protect you and wanted to be absolutely sure that you would never leave his side through death by his many enemies. Whatever the case was, Deimos seemed eager to teach you even though his neutrality in word and deed was evident in the poised posture of his muscled physique. Therefore, you decided to indulge the man to see what his intentions were as you stood in front of Deimos before he positioned himself behind you to watch your every move. Commanding you to enter your archery stance, you followed Deimos’s lead as you raised your arms up and positioned the bow properly before the man shook his head, “No, stop...Use your dominant hand to pull the string and your weaker hand to grip the bow.”

“Really? My brother always taught me to do it the opposite way.” 

“Well, he is wise and it is possible to shoot a bow that way. You should know multiple ways to shoot and be able to shoot with either hand...But if you want the perfect shot with the best aim, then try it my way.” Deimos directed as he stood behind you while you nodded warmly, “Alright, I’ll try it your way.” Watching you position the bow again, Deimos noticed your stance was off by mere minutia as he shook his head again, “Wait...Your posture is good. But your legs need to be spread more and your feet need to be more firmly planted on the ground.” 

“Yes, Sir.” You nodded back before Deimos held his hands out as if he wanted to direct your physique on where he needed it to go. It was such a subtle gesture that one wouldn’t have picked up on its true intent, but then again, subtlety was in Deimos’s nature when it came to matters of physical touch while getting to the point made up the other half of his psyche. Noticing what he wanted to do, you relaxed enough and trusted him not to harm you as you let him touch you. With callused hands gripping your dominant wrist and the bicep of your opposite hand, the soldier turned you maybe about half an inch from your original stance and realigned your posture so you were standing straight with legs spread an inch further apart than what they were minutes ago. Then, Deimos directed you to shoot the arrow as he whispered in your ear, still standing behind you before you nodded again. Nocking the arrow as you yanked on the bowstring a second time while inhaling deeply through your nose, Deimos carefully examined your stance and nodded silently at you, witnessing the amount of breath control and focus you had for this target as you inwardly prayed to Apollo and Artemis for their blessings again, oxygen withholding itself from your lungs as you held your breath and stayed as still as a statue in Medusa’s lair. Without losing eye contact with the target, even to blink, you released the arrow on the sharp exhale as it cut through the air, whistling towards the target as it stayed on its steady course...

THUNK!

The telling sign that the arrow met its mark echoed in the training room as you and Deimos investigated where it landed. It was a clean shot, a clean kill if it had been a person coming at you. Perfectly lodged into the crimson center was the arrow, glimmering in black and gold. With a breathy gasp, you couldn’t believe that Deimos’s teachings actually worked for your archery as the brunette smirked with a whisper of ‘perfect’ so low that you couldn’t even understand what he said. With another direction to go again, you seemed more jovial today than you had at the start of your new life with Deimos as you turned to the man in the golden armor, your golden curls fanning your body during your jovial twirl while a smile was the highlight of your face as you nodded and followed his directions once more. 

After a few rounds of archery, Deimos announced that you were done for the day as you handed the bow and quiver back to him. However, the man shook his head as he pushed the weaponry back to you while he retorted, “Keep it. You may need it one day when there’s no one around to protect you.”

“Really? You would trust me with weapons, even when I’m your reward?” 

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t trust you?” Deimos snapped with a tone that indicated annoyance with a hint of anger as his guard went up, his volume rose with each syllable, and his muscles tensed. However, your docile voice was quick to calm him again as you shook your head vehemently, “No...No, I accept the responsibility of your gift. Thank you, my almighty Deimos.” After a few moments of silence following your attempt to bring down Deimos’s outburst, the man relaxed upon seeing the honesty and innocence in your very aura while you addressed him as if he was a person and not a tool of the Cult, “Deimos, I really enjoyed this day. I never would’ve expected to have a member of the Cult instruct me in archery or be so kind to me, but I really appreciate you treating me this way. I know I haven’t been the best company to you, being weak and nearly silent, but your presence is always welcome to me since I always enjoy having you around...Being with you today reminded me of the times my sister, Mater, and I would visit my brother at his military training camps. So thank you. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” 

Deimos didn’t think he was hallucinating, but then again, you just said you enjoyed his company and it didn’t seem like an act spoken out of terrified hesitation to avoid an eruption of temper. Honesty was your best quality, one that Deimos always appreciated since you were pretty much the only one who lived that quality every day. So to hear that you genuinely enjoyed spending time with him and that he even brought back good memories from your childhood, something changed in Deimos as a layer of ice shattered and melted away from his heart before putting another piece back together. In that moment, Deimos’s subtle and grand expressions towards you changed as he softened before your very eyes. It was instantly noticed as his eyes didn’t pierce daggers into your soul but instead pleaded out for help from one soul to another. His voice even seemed to present itself with a warm rumbling as he addressed you back, nothing like the arrogant booming and barking you were accustomed to in the years you lived with him, “Well, you needed to learn how to fight and I wanted to see where you were at in your archery, nothing more.” 

“Well, no matter the reason, I learned a lot from you. Thank you so much.” You replied back with a gentle smile before you asked to go again one more time, just to test your aim as the man relented with a solemn nod. And if your eyes weren’t deceiving you, you swore you saw the man grin with warmth in his eyes, however, you didn’t dare to question it, knowing that Deimos would vehemently deny it or be angered. 

After the last arrow from your quiver hit its mark successfully, you pulled the weapons from the target and stuffed them back into their storage compartment before heading back to your shared room with Deimos as an escort. Linking your arm with his, your eyes glanced upon the muscles of his forearm as they tensed in response to your gentle touch before they slowly released the flexing motions like air deflating out of a car tire. Several dark hallways later and you were back in the room as Deimos announced that he had a meeting with the other higher-ups of the Cult, but the moment ended with you thanking Deimos again for the day with a kiss to the cheek and soft smile as he closed the door behind you. Sauntering back down the dark halls with his callused hand cradling his stubbled cheek, Deimos’s heart rate increased with every step and every recollection of you and your kindness. In short, you had a good influence on his very character and both of you knew it. Whether he liked it or not, Deimos was changing and it was all thanks to you. Had it been him interacting with anyone else, Deimos would’ve plunged himself further into a path of darkness and blood. But your light-hearted innocence, your very presence prompted a positive growth in those who interacted with you and that included the almighty soldier Deimos. For a man who was never supposed to feel love or warmth, he miraculously crossed paths with you and had such feelings for you. Unbeknownst to him, you were suddenly falling in love with him as the evidence of his change made itself clear to you in every interaction you had with him following the first. 

Over the past several days, you and Deimos spent more time together since you both enjoyed each other’s company. During this time, Deimos picked up on your interests and preferences for womanly tasks such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other activities. Taking these things in mind, Deimos would always return to the compound with something for you from his travels, whether it was from a marketplace in Delphi or in other marketplaces in the Greek world. Sometimes, there were new garments for you to wear since your usual white one was starting to get filthy after wearing it since the first day you met the man. Other times, it was a trinket of some sort such as a seashell from a beach or tools for sewing and weaving. But one gift that Deimos always seemed to provide for you all the time unless he was away on business was fresh pomegranates. You always favored them over any other fruit unless pomegranates weren’t in stock, but with Deimos, they seemed to always be in stock specifically for you. This kindness was always repaid with an accompaniment to Deimos’s sessions in the training room every morning for archery. The more time spent together with the man, the more skills he brought out in you as he taught you offensive and defensive maneuvers as well as extended weapons training. Your brother and sister had taught you well and Deimos could see that, but he gave you something they didn’t: A push of motivation, even if it seemed harsh and unyielding at first before becoming gentle upon seeing your success. Deimos brought out the warrior in you, the part of you that was considered unladylike in Athenian societal standards. He commanded you to harness the strength that you often held back and you did so without question, slowly becoming more like a queen with a gentleness and a demeanor that seemed to earn respect from others. Personal gratification satisfied Deimos to see a pleasant change in you; you were still meek and innocent, just as he always enjoyed you, but you were also beginning to grow more of a spine rather than just giving into the demands of others out of fear of their reactions. Even around him, he kinda enjoyed you standing up to him sometimes rather than always being a yea-sayer that constantly kissed up to him out of fear. In truth, it was one of the many reasons why he was intrigued by you during your first meeting. Even with a heart that was almost too pure for this world, you always stood your ground. 

One night during a home-cooked meal from you, Deimos informed you that he had to travel abroad for a mission of the Cult. It wasn’t like you had ever been alone in all the time you had known Deimos because up until recently, you were often alone while the soldier trained. But this time, you actually found yourself worrying about him and his safety. Even though he scared you at first, he did make you feel safe, especially around the other Cult members. You also found yourself beginning to miss him even before he departed for his journey. Never in your wildest dreams did you think he would miss you or you would miss him, but both of you felt the opposite of what was expected. Putting down your food, you glided across the floor to the area of the room where you kept your weaving materials and some of your finished works, which included a couple blankets and tapestries. Pulling up a black cloth embroidered with golden thread, you handed the warm item to Deimos as the brunette’s golden eyes widened with knitted brows, thick and bushy across his face, before you grinned gently, “Here, I made this for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a blanket. Sometimes, you go on long journeys but I never know where. However it sometimes gets really cold at night, so I wanted to make sure you had something to keep you warm at night.” You responded as Deimos scooped the blanket from your arms and into his. The thick cloth under his fingers felt so soft that it reminded him of your golden curls but as he noticed the story that the tapestry told and how well-crafted the thread was sewn into the black cloth, it brought a small grin to his face as he shook his head, “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know, but I wanted to.” You explained warmly as Deimos’s eyes widened in surprise before he nodded solemnly, “It will serve me well.” He really didn’t deserve the blanket and he really didn’t deserve you; that’s what Deimos vehemently believed as he watched for your reaction, which consisted of a warm smile and a nod. He expected you to let him savor the blanket before snatching it away and calling him weak for accepting kindness. That’s what everyone else did to him whenever he actually believed someone was being genuine to him only for them to reveal their true colors. That definitely explained his paranoia for betrayal and why he always tested someone’s loyalty. But with you, your honesty was real without any expectation of anything in return or self-serving motive aside from a naturally benevolent, giving personality. Every kindness you gave to Deimos, you never reneged on it or insulted him for it. This was why Deimos trusted you with a raw vulnerability that nearly made you wanna cry at seeing the soldier take down the walls around his heart and reveal who he really was around you: Just a scared little kid who wanted to love and be loved, an orphan who felt so alone in this world until he met you. This was why a perplexed expression graced your face as Deimos whispered a soft ‘thank you, Krysanthe’ while looking directly at your eyes with his golden ones before you grinned back with a whisper of ‘you’re welcome.’ In all the time you knew him, he never said thank you and he never called you by your real name of Krysanthe. However, once more, you didn’t question him or his motivations for suddenly being so nice to you as you continued about your merry way. Much later, Deimos packed for his journey as you watched him from afar while cleaning up the utensils from dinner before you told him that you were going to retire to bed. Giving a nod, Deimos prepared for his own slumber as he set up his new blanket on the ground before you called out to the man. For years, Deimos slept on the ground and snuck closer to you with every passing day until he slept mere inches from you as of recently. He respected your privacy and you returned the favor. But now, you were comfortable enough to let him come closer as you lifted your blanket up and pat your bedroll, pleading with him to share with you so he wouldn’t freeze in the damp chill of the cave. For the first time, Deimos didn’t hesitate at the chance to get closer to you as he nodded and followed your request obediently rather than the other way around, draping his blanket over the both of you as you faced each other on the bedroll. Reaching your hand out to grip his, Deimos took your palm and gave it a gentle squeeze as you grinned at him before you both drifted off, eyes of gold and (Eye Color) fluttering shut before the inevitable departure of your soldier began tomorrow morning as you saw him off safely at his boat. Wishing him safe travels as you promised to pray for him, Deimos asked you to wait up for him as you grinned back at him, promising again that you would as one of the heads of one of the Cult’s branches scanned you for any deceit or betrayal and found none in your gestures or tone. Once the boat had taken off with your soldier upon the vessel, you were led back into your room on the base with one of the Cultist branch heads, specifically a female who was as regal as she was beautiful if her motherly tone was anything to go by. While you didn’t know her name or face, you were aware that she used to be a Hetaera that traveled around the Greek world, making her well-cultured and intelligent. At least, that’s what she told you; whether it was true or not, you didn’t know. However, the woman behind the mask was the only rational brain in the Cult while Deimos was obviously the brawn, and they both seemed to always have a comforting, tough love demeanor whenever faced with you in comparison to the cold-heartedness of the other Cult members who still believed you were up to something meant to derail their plans. However, because Deimos and the former Hetaera were in your corner, nothing was ever done or said in regards to you because if Deimos would’ve found out...The thoughts were so malicious and sadistic that you didn’t even want to know what his wrath would unleash if someone within his Cult ever hurt you. 

Almost a week had passed and you and the Cult heard no word from Deimos aside from that he and the others with him were in route back to Delphi. While you were excited for his return and prepared extensively by doing extra cleaning around the room and making yourself more presentable, something in the back of your mind was nagging at you. Ominous foreboding was in the internal message as you felt like something bad was going to happen to Deimos, whether it was on his way back from his mission or upon his return to Delphi. In any case, you kept on your toes and made sure you were ready for what was come, even without knowing what you needed to be ready for. Therefore, your hypervigilance was laser-focused on the future while your prayers were directed at Deimos and his safe return. At long last, when Deimos returned to the caves of Delphi, you expected to give him a warm meal and a tender hug to welcome him back. However, there was no jubilation and no familiar clacks of armored feet hitting the floor. Instead, Deimos was brought in on a makeshift stretcher, bloodied and bruised with the faintest sign that he was still clinging to life. In short, many of the men aboard the ship were in bad shape but it seemed Deimos was spared from more severe, fatal injuries. The sight was enough to bring you to your knees beside the man as you rushed to his side to grip his hand in yours, not caring if you pushed Cultist guards or Cultist leaders out of the way. Some of the Cultists believed you meant Deimos harm and raised their weapons at you until the lady behind the mask waved her hands down, giving a solemn nod to everyone else as they slowly stood down. Leaning down close to Deimos, you brushed his brunette waves back from his crimson, sticky forehead as the golden beads twinkled in the light of the torches surrounding the interior walls of the cave. It didn’t matter to you that blood had gotten on your hands or even your clothes; all you cared about now was Deimos. That’s why you turned to a nearby Cultist guard who had accompanied Deimos on the journey, tears streaming down your cheeks as your voice faltered into a tremble, “W-What h...happened?” 

“It was a battle at sea from a hostile ship; Deimos and the rest of us managed to do a number on them, but we also suffered injuries ourselves. His case is mild in comparison to some of ours.” The guard answered as he was taken away by healers to receive proper medicine and a change of his bandages while you remained by Deimos, promising that you wouldn’t leave him as his callused hand reached up to the back of your head, stroking through your golden curls before clutching onto them like a lifeline. For several moments, the world was silent and you and Deimos remained interlocked by a bond of concern until a healer broke through and pushed you aside so they could tend to Deimos. However, the man refused to let the healer touch him as he grabbed the man by the collar and threw him aside. Crashing into a nearby pillar as his tools clattered to the floor, Deimos stared daggers at the medicine man before he cursed at him with a hiss of ‘don’t ever touch me again’ leaving his lips. With wide eyes at seeing his fury for yourself, you decided not to set Deimos off anymore than he already was by remaining silent by his side. But Deimos’s next command brought your attention full circle as he barked at his Cultists, “The Athenian girl...She’s gentle and worthy of my trust. I want her to heal my wounds.” 

“But, my precious child of Hera, if you don’t get help now, you’ll bleed out-“ A female Cultist who worshipped Deimos as a deity and apparently raised him to be the hardened soldier he was now pleaded before the brunette shook his head solemnly, “No one but Krysanthe touches me. That’s an order!” Giving a small nod to the man before you, you gave a gentle grin as you stroked his cheek before you announced, “Don’t worry, my almighty Deimos, I’ll take good care of you.” 

However, a harsh hand gripped your wrist and twisted it enough to snap bone and tendons as you whined under your breath at the shouting of several male and female Cultist guards and members, “Well, we don’t trust her. For all we know, she could mix up a poison that tastes sweet but that kills you slowly and painfully. Why would you trust a slave? Athenians are clever in words but they’re all liars!” The sheer force of all the shouts at you as the hand that twisted your wrist tightened, causing a raw rash as crimson as blood to form with the stinging burn of a thousand white-hot burning suns. Fire had been set upon you and you were without a nearby source of water to put it out. As the shouts increased in volume with more numbers joining in, the fires of hatred directed at you seemed to get higher as the flames started to overtake you. However, the female Cultist who was always in your corner extinguished the flames with an icy resolve, like a winter storm snuffing out the flames of campsite torches, as she explained, “Since the Athenian Krysanthe has been here, she has meant no harm to Deimos or any of us. She has been a great asset to our cause and to our mightiest warrior. There isn’t a shred of dishonesty in her words or deeds, and she hasn’t given us any reason not to trust her. Besides, medicine is one of the many talents of a woman, and if she knows a way to help him, I say we let her try. Deimos will bleed to death if we don’t. Do what is best for our cause and give her a chance.” 

“Krysanthe is my reward and if I say I trust her and give her permission, then you step aside and let her do as she pleases. So I suggest you get your hand off her before I cut the bone from your wrist and feed it to you like a leg of lamb.” Deimos threatened with a glare in his golden eyes that resembled a wild animal growling at an enemy that attacked their babies or their spouse while the Cultist guard who gripped your wrist gave an audible gasp behind the mask. Looking up at his eyes, you could see the guard’s eyes widen as he looked like he peed himself while your Deimos never relented in the cold bitterness of his present demeanor. Someone was backing down from this fight and it wasn’t going to be Deimos; you knew that for certain. Just as expected, the guard let you go as you cradled your wrist to your chest and cowered away from the occupants of the room, massaging the sore flesh gently as Deimos pulled you into his arms sweetly with genuine concern sparkling in his eyes before he turned to the guard again, cold eyes of death glaring at the one who hurt you. You didn’t know why, but something told you that you wouldn’t be seeing that guard again anytime soon. However, Deimos was your top priority now, so you disregarded your own pain to begin healing the man you grew to love as you tied your hair back into a makeshift ponytail braid. Gathering your thoughts together while ignoring the ever-present throbbing of your wrist, the warrior queen inside you rose up to domineer over the Cultists as you requested medical materials left and right, “I’m going to need some cloth to wrap his wounds as well as some fresh herbs to make medicine. I’ll also need some wine.” 

“What do you require wine for?” A female Cultist guard asked before you responded gently, “For Deimos. I have to make him drink something that won’t taste good, so it’ll help wash away the bad taste. He’ll also need it to help him relax since the medicine may sting his wounds. Can you please produce those materials quickly? It’ll help reduce any suspicions of tampering or foul play from my end if you secure these things for me.” Giving a small wink to everyone, the Cultists scurried off to all four corners of the cave to get you the materials as you remained at Deimos’s side while you helped a few members lift him into your shared room and onto the bed roll you two recently shared. Within a few seconds, all the materials were brought to you promptly as you thanked everyone kindly for their help before you requested help from the few Cultists who trusted you to hold Deimos down on the bed roll since you had to administer the medical paste to his wounds after first cauterizing them with a flaming hot knife. After removing all the armor to clean off all the blood and grime from the soldier with a damp cloth, you pleaded for him to drink the bitter medicine before rewarding his cooperation with the sweet wine. Shortly afterwards, you told the Cultists to prepare for the next course of healing as at least two individuals went to the main four extremities that lined Deimos’s body. Tapping the knife to his skin, Deimos let loose a piercing wince to the heavens as he started to fight back against the Cultists (even managing to bite one of his subordinates in the arm) who steadied him to the ground with iron grips before you screamed a plea to your allies to keep him still. After a long-winded struggle to keep Deimos down while your female Cultist ally shouted at the men and women to listen to your commands, the Cultists managed to win as exhaustion from blood loss won out, causing the brunette to collapse harshly to the bed roll with breathless pants as sweat drenched his hair. Wetting another cloth to place over Deimos’s forehead, hushed shushes spread from your lips to the man’s ears as your chaste strokes through his hair soothed him enough to take the medical paste into his skin like a stoic without any wince or grimace. Several seconds turned into minutes as you finished up the healing process of the warrior by wrapping up his wounds with gauze as you kindly dismissed the guards with a genuine thanks for their help. Giving gentle nods back to you, the guards went about their business while the masked Cultist woman made her exit, slowly walking away so she could watch over you and Deimos in secret. 

Replacing the damp cloth on Deimos’s forehead with a cold, fresh one, you resorted to brushing his hair away from his sweaty forehead again as this seemed to do the trick of calming him down. Taking your own hair down from its braid, you shook out the curls with your fingers before turning back to your most-trusted friend. Even if he was a Cult member, he seemed very different from the rest of them. In a way, Hope seemed to be more alive for Deimos’s future than anyone else’s in this organization. If you could spare anyone from your siblings’ wrath when they came back for you and took down the Cult, you would knew you would always spare Deimos, every single time with no questions asked. That’s why your heart shattered at seeing Deimos so broken and bruised all the time, but especially now when he could’ve easily slipped away, alone, into Hades. Now that his condition was stable, it put your heart at ease. However, it still didn’t change the love you felt for him nor did it change the love he felt for you. In his mind, you weren’t obligated to tend to him like this through use of bribery or coercion, and yet you did so of your own free will. But why? Deimos was just a killing machine programmed from the nature and nurture surrounding his birth, a means to an end to the Cult. You were an Athenian lady sent to be his reward for whatever he desired you for until you ran out of use. However, he treated you as his equal and you reacted accordingly, but it didn’t mean you had to treat him with human decency...unless...it was what you chose to do. Never in his life had he seen someone fret over him and actually care about his safety or his health, much less a woman. The women of the Cult were tough as nails, conniving as they were beautiful. They cared not if Deimos lived or died. But you were not of the Cult and you were as gentle and beautiful as fresh flowers with a motherly kindness to match your newfound attitude of a strong-willed queen. That’s why Deimos was lucky to have you; in short, you cared. 

Readjusting yourself so Deimos’s head was in your lap, you absentmindedly stroked through his brunette waves, adorned with golden beads that shone in the firelight, as he closed his eyes with deep sighs that appeared to indicate relaxation exiting his tight-pursed lips. All the while, apologies sprang from your throat as you traced patterns over the man’s naked shoulder with your index finger, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you when I was trying to heal you. I was just so scared I would lose you, so I thought cauterizing the wounds would help prevent infection and heal them faster.” 

“I have dealt with pain my whole life; it’s nothing new.” Deimos retorted as he reached a hand out to grab yours, prompting you to take his callused palm into your hand with a tight squeeze to ground him in the reality that he was still alive and with you. However, Deimos noticed your wrist’s discomfort, especially as he held the hand that contained the injury, and asked about it, “Did he hurt you?” 

“No, my almighty Deimos. It’s just a sore wrist. It’ll heal within a couple of days.” You shook your head as a smile graced your face. However, Deimos could tell the smile was just a façade to power through the pain as your eyes sparkled with unshed tears, causing a sigh to escape his lips and his hand to stop holding your sore one as he instead cupped your cheek, “No one hurts you and gets away with it. You have my word; he’ll pay for what he did.”

“There’s no need to defend me. I’m no one special.” 

“You’re special to me. There’s no one else I’d rather spend my life with than with you, and I’d spend the rest of my life protecting you even if it gets me killed. I hate everyone else in this world aside from you.” Deimos explained as your eyes widened and your mouth produced a gasp while you asked for clarification, “You mean that?” Just one look in his eyes and you could tell he meant it without him having to justify his quote. It felt really good having Deimos on your side, but it felt even better knowing that Deimos actually liked you and wanted to keep you safe. Perhaps he wasn’t such a bad person after all once some layers were peeled back to reveal the real man. That’s why you had no problem kissing his forehead from above to thank him for his kind words as he welcomed the gentleness, closing his eyes again with a sharp inhale through his nose before he silently grinned on the exhale. Whispering a ‘thank you, Krysanthe’ to you, you couldn’t help but smile back at the brunette as you laid down beside the man. Embracing him close to you as you draped the blanket you made for him over both of you before you bid him goodnight, your hand stroked his stubbled cheek as he brushed his hands through your golden curls, which tickled his face the closer he got to your face as his stubble tickled you too. The moment was so tender that the lady in the mask who liked you couldn’t help but wipe a silent tear from her eye as she couldn’t believe what she witnessed during her slow exit from the room. Deimos, a feared soldier, had actually learned to grow a heart and express true love. Never in centuries could the Cult’s leader had predicted this, even with the best Oracles of Delphi. But she couldn’t erase what she saw for it was no illusion of magic or the mind. Deciding to keep such matters to herself, the lady in the mask left you two alone as Deimos savored your company and you savored his. 

The gifts of Artemis and her archery served you well in gaining Deimos’s trust and respect as a worthy combatant that wanted to learn how to defend herself. Now, the gifts of Apollo and his healing saved Deimos from certain death and healed you gain Deimos’s love and empathy. Praying to the gods above definitely sealed your fate, but it was better than you could’ve imagined. Hades was never your intended future; Deimos was. Now it all made sense as to why this plan of staying behind to help your siblings escape was yours to carry out alone. Your sister was too much like Deimos and wouldn’t have had the capability of calming the man as she had a stubbornness and temper to match a smart mouth, something Deimos wouldn’t have put up with. But while you were as opinionated and intelligent as your sister, there was something about your timidness that Deimos liked. It wasn’t because you were meek and without a spine. It was your gentleness that he enjoyed, your company that seemed to always put him in a good mood even when he was livid enough to rip someone’s head off. Your presence didn’t put him on the defensive or offensive but instead kept him neutral. You did what your sister could not and became what she could not be; you were an Athenian lady and proud of it. Only a true lady could’ve achieved this task, and you did just that. Sleeping soundly at the fact that you succeeded, you prayed to the gods one more time to deliver you and Deimos from the Cult and to a reunion with your family again. In return, Deimos wished for a future with you by his side, no matter what that future held. 

________________________________

Kassandra! Deimos Version 

It had been a few years since you had been taken to the Sanctuary at Delphi, the origins of the Cult of Kosmos. You knew not of the whereabouts of your siblings, although there were rumors of a naval captain resembling your brother Zale being seen somewhere off the coast of Mykonos with a crew of his own Athenian soldiers gone rogue in order to fight the Cult. The Cult even thought they had caught your sister only to realize it was just an innocent civilian, leading them to release her with a bag of drachmae and the threat to keep quiet or else suffer deadly consequences. This still gave you hope that your family would defeat the Cult and come back for you. This still made you continue to push on, for your siblings and your people. You had to stay strong for them; you couldn’t give up now. Your father and the Cult was very pleased by your obedience, so more privileges were given to you by the leaders of the Cult even though some of those associated with your captors believed you would somehow betray them. But how would you? If you even tried to run or form a coup, you would be caught and executed as soon as you told someone your plans in confidence. That’s why you remained silent and meek, trying your best to please those who distrusted you and be a good companion to Deimos. 

In those few years you spent with Deimos, you rarely saw her due to her long hours of heavy training. However, what little you did see of her, you tried your best to be kind and stay out of her way as you helped mend her clothes, clean your shared room, and cook some of her meals. Hypervigilance was your friend and carelessness was your enemy, so you took the utmost care not to set Deimos off. She didn’t have the best control over her temper or her fists, after all. Even the members of the Cult remarked at how strong and unpredictable Deimos was as a child and that they feared what he would become now that she was a grown woman. However, in all the time you spent with her, she never once laid a harmful hand on you. It was actually a breath of fresh air in comparison to the harsh, cold, bitterness of your father and his unhappy home, especially after your mother died for unknown reasons when you were just a child. On one particular evening, Deimos came into the shared room with you as she shed herself of her heavy, golden armor while you portioned a hearty soup into bowls for yourself and your companion. Setting the bowls down on the stones that acted as a makeshift table and chairs, you bowed your head low for the woman as you greeted her warmly, your beauty fully blossomed into that of a grown woman of your day and age, “Good evening, Deimos. How was your training?”

“Same as usual. Weak little sheep walking into a lion’s slaughter...I’m surprised they were even recruited.” Deimos huffed as she pulled off the last piece of armor from her chest and laid it down in the corner of the room nearby while you kept yourself tight-lipped until a thoughtful response could be crafted in your head. You really didn’t want to incur the wrath of Deimos with a response that would trigger her, so you chose your next words carefully. A mistake in syntax and semantics might become the dried ink on your death sentence. Taking a deep breath, you looked to Deimos sincerely as you scooted her soup bowl over to her before you answered in an innocent tone, “I’m sorry you had a boring day. I hope a formidable opponent comes to face you soon.” A beat of silence followed your response, then another. All you could hear was your heart pounding in your chest, and not in a good way. Was it better that Deimos was silent after you spoke? Not necessarily. The eeriness of her not giving a direct answer always made you more nervous since you never knew what to expect with her. It would’ve been better if she would’ve just answered at a decent pace like a normal person. However, it always seemed like Deimos was testing your answers every time, looking for any shred of dishonesty or deceit in your words or actions only to find none, regardless of how many times she tested you upon your arrival. To you, it was a matter of life and death. To Deimos, it was a matter of loyalty or betrayal. At long last, Deimos’s answer came as soon as the breath was inhaled into your body, awaiting harm or a need to be afraid, while she nodded slowly with the slightest smirk, “My thoughts exactly. Shall we eat, cry baby?” 

“O-Oh, yes, of course. You must be hungry.” You nodded meekly as you and Deimos sat down to dine on the soup you made fresh today with ingredients you were allowed to purchase in the market with a Cult member as an escort. Eating in silence with only a few candlelights around to illuminate the cavern room, you sipped from your bowl while Deimos slurped bits of her meal, causing you to watch shyly with wide eyes and a giggle that you managed to hold back before she exhaled in relief and wiped her mouth with the back of her bare hand. Staring down at you with golden brown irises, Deimos watched your every move before she commented, “Cry baby?”

“Yes, my almighty Deimos?” You answered back to the nickname she devised for you based on the pronunciation of your name. You hated that she called you that since when you felt, you did so deeply, whether it was laughing, crying, shouting, or screaming. But what were you to do? Arguing might make her angry and you could only imagine what she might do to you if you argued. You heard what she did to her enemies; you didn’t want to suffer a similar fate. However, Deimos was soft in her approach of talking to you as she questioned you, “Where did you learn how to cook like this? This soup is actually edible, not like the slop the military men force me and others like me to eat.”

“Really? Thank you.” You nodded as you stroked a stray golden curl behind your ear before answering back, “Mom taught me and my sister some of her recipes but due to our noble status, we also had servants who cooked and they taught us if we asked. The soup recipe was my mother’s...I was worried you might not like it, but I noticed you weren’t eating a lot so I wanted to give you a properly cooked meal. I do hope it really is to your liking.”

“It is, otherwise, I would say the opposite.” Deimos answered as she slurped from the bowl again while you grinned warmly at her kind words. It wasn’t often that Deimos had kind words even though her actions towards you were always gentle. You didn’t know why she was always so nice to you except because of a direct order to not break you since she would only get one reward, one you. But there was something about her actions, a small hint that maybe, just maybe, she actually did enjoy your company and wanted you to stick around. Perhaps, under all that golden armor and that stone-cold exterior, maybe there was an interior full of warmth complete with a heart. Maybe, all Deimos wanted was a friend despite her tainted reputation all across the Greek world. Rather than question it, you just went with it and enjoyed the kindness in peace. After eating her first bowl, Deimos asked if you could get her another helping, which you did without question as you handed the steaming pottery to the brunette before she took another sip. Taking another sip of soup while you stared at the soldier in front of you, clad in nothing but a black exomis and dusty, plain sandals with the only golden armor existing on her person being the ones on her shins, you noticed Deimos’s bow propped up beside her armor. It was in plain view but shimmering like a king’s staff, with accents of gold complimenting some red and blue paint that decorated the dark brown wood. Patterns of red orbs and triangles inside the blue quickly caught your eye as you found yourself mesmerized by the bow and the accompanying quiver of arrows. However, you kept tight-lipped about the beautiful bow since it wasn’t your place to speak about such a weapon since you were a lady and it didn’t belong to you. You also thought it best to not speak unless directed to by Deimos or someone else, as you felt it would be rude to speak out of turn. Deimos seemed to notice how your eyes diverted from your food, the table, or her own piercing gaze to the bow as she made a sideways glance towards the weapon before turning back to you. Taking another sip of soup before wiping her mouth again, Deimos scanned you up and down before she asked, “What’re you staring at, woman?” 

“Oh, nothing. Just your bow and quivers, my almighty Deimos.” You answered honestly as your gaze never left that of the woman in front of you before she probed further to see into your state of mind, “And what reason do you have for doing so?” Perhaps you were staring at it for a calculated plan, maybe to try to kill her with her own weapon and attempt to escape. Deimos had to be sure your innocence wouldn’t be her undoing. You just had to be thinking of a way to kill her and find your freedom. Everyone else she ever knew always betrayed her, so why wouldn’t you do the same? To her, people couldn’t be trusted. She had seen the world and its cruelties, felt its pain, so what made you any different? However, your loyalty to her for the sake of your siblings and your people was as evident as her lust for power and blood as you answered honestly to avoid making her angry if you tried to lie. It was one of your best qualities that she secretly enjoyed, your honesty no matter how brutal, “It just looked so beautiful and well-crafted, I couldn’t help myself. Forgive me. I won’t look at it anymore if that’s what you wish.” 

With a wave of her open-palmed hand in the air, Deimos cut you off from speaking as your gaze stared down at the ground, occasionally glancing under your lashes at the woman’s next move while she rose from the table. Closing your eyes, you expected to be hit as you prepared to shield yourself from the blow by getting ready to raise your arms above your head until you felt something cold press against your cheek. Fluttering your eyes open, you noticed that Deimos’s bow was pointed in your face as she shrugged, “You liked it so much. Here, take it, hold it.” Stunned was an understatement to how you were feeling right now. Perplexed would be a better description. Whether she was playing a game or not, holding it out like the trees of fruit above or the waters below Tantalus only to take it away to not allow satisfaction for hunger or thirst, you didn’t know. However, when she gave a direct order, she usually wasn’t playing a game; she meant business and it had to be done correctly and quickly or else her rage would be awakened. That’s why, in your hesitation, you took the bow from her with trembling, drenched palms as you twirled it around in your hands. In the meanwhile, Deimos kept a careful eye on you with a piqued interest. What made the moment even more touching as you spent countless seconds examining the bow was when Deimos saw you smile for the first time in all the years she had known you. You had never once laughed or smiled since becoming a prisoner of the Cult of Kosmos. But to be handed a bow with explicit permission to look at it in detail, it elated you even if it was something as simple as looking at the secondary weapon of the feared soldier. Upon seeing your smile, Deimos felt something she had never felt before. She just knew you were different and that you wouldn’t betray her. Your many kindnesses were not a mask that would be used against him to kill her later when her guard was down. Your actions and words were never contradictory to how you truly felt, not even phony. You were loyal and obedient to her, maybe for a valid reason of protecting your people and your siblings and because you feared her temper, but it still didn’t change the fact that you could be trusted. Your innocence was not an act; it was as pure as the clearest waters in all of Greece. Unlike all the others she encountered and was screwed over by, you gifted Deimos with things she never thought would be attainable, given her status as a hardened soldier and feared Cultist...Hope, happiness, warmth, kindness. Some things the woman had never known until you came along. 

Giving a small smirk without your knowledge at your happiness, Deimos watched your reactions to the bow before she spoke, as if her tone was evidence that she was awkward when it came to friendly conversation, “So...How do you know about bows? I always assumed ladies weren’t concerned with weaponry or the ways of war.” 

“Well, usually they are, but my brother is an Athenian naval captain. However, you already know that.” You answered honestly as you twirled the bow around in your hand, commenting on how balanced the weight was on the weapon and how tight the string was fastened or how intricate the design was, before Deimos nodded, “Yes, my Cult and I are aware of his military status. But you didn’t answer my question. How do you know about bows?”

“My brother taught me archery. We both knew others couldn’t always protect me, so I had to learn how to defend myself if such an event came to pass...I was raised as a lady and taught all basic household chores such as needlework, medicine, cleaning, cooking, literature, and the Arts. But I had one skill associated with a man, and the only weaponry I picked up on was archery. So whenever I see a beautifully-crafted bow or arrows, I just can’t help myself.” 

“Prove it to me.” Deimos commanded as your head tilted to the side and your (Eye Color) irises widened, a visible curl forming on your lips, with the next question you gave her, “Prove what?” 

“You said your brother taught you archery. Prove it to me tomorrow, at the crack of dawn. I’d like to see for myself what a woman like you can do.” Deimos declared her second command of the night to you as your ears and your mind comprehended what she was asking of you. That request really threw you for a loop. It had been years, years, since you had last shot a bow and arrow with your siblings by your side, especially Zale, your main archery instructor and your elder brother. Sure, you knew about archery and the basics of how to aim and shoot, but you were by no means as skilled as a warrior like Deimos. You just didn’t want to disappoint or anger her with your inadequacy at such a craft of war. You were raised a highborn lady of Athens and only knew the skill of archery as a means of self-defense, not for personal reasons such as voluntary combat or hunting. You were not a hardened soldier like Deimos, and yet she wanted you to prove yourself. Prove yourself...Yet another test of your loyalty to her. Suppose you went to do the archery and were deemed insufficient? What would she do to to your people, to your brother and sister? But more importantly, what would she do to you? Thousands of ‘what ifs’ filled your head in an endless mantra as fear paused your every movement, constricted your throat of oxygen and of sound, never ceasing its iron grip on you. But you refused to let Deimos see your fear, even when she could sense it better than anyone. If Deimos saw your fear, she would think you were weak and possibly have no use for you. You could not be weak or else your departure to Hades would be imminent. You had to be strong. You had to succeed at archery; it was the only warrior’s skill you were actually good at. Therefore, you accepted Deimos’s challenge without a stutter in your lips or a frightened tremble in your bones as you nodded, “Alright, at dawn tomorrow, I’ll accompany you to training. I just hope I prove to be deemed worthy of Artemis and Apollo’s blessings.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you were worthy, now would you?” Deimos questioned while you nodded your head again, “Yes, I think so.” With golden curls framing your face and fanning out over your shoulders, the tiniest grin graced your cheeks as you gazed into golden brown orbs with your own (Eye Color) ones. It seemed to have some kind of effect on Deimos as she found herself mesmerized and confused at the same time by the way you stared back at her. It was a poker face you often used to not show Deimos your fear since she told you that you reeked of it when you first met. Saving face was what you did best, especially against those you deemed as enemies. Your innocent demeanor just made it easier to do so since no one suspected cunning and strategy from a lady, and certainly not from an Athenian noblewoman. It seemed as though you were able to fool even Deimos into thinking you weren’t terrified, which seemed to confuse the woman even more considering her perceptions were usually never wrong as she shook her head wildly before giving you a suggestion that didn’t sound anything at all like an order, “I’m gonna get some air...You should get some rest. I don’t like people who are late.” 

“Of course, after I clear away the dishes...Good night, my almighty Deimos.” You replied as you went to work doing what you promised by cleaning off the pottery with fresh water while the soldier left the room to ground herself again. Grinning once again at the fact that you were alone, you dusted yourself off from cleaning the room you shared with Deimos before going to your bedside on your knees. Closing your eyes as you clasped your hands in front of you, prayers to the twins Apollo and Artemis escaped your lips in solemn whispers, pleading for help in your archery trials. You also prayed to Persephone, Hades’s queen, for safe passage into Elysium to be reunited with your mother and siblings if Deimos decided your fate was to end in death. You only hoped your wishes would be granted, one way or another. After saying your prayers, you crawled into bed and covered yourself up, singing the lullaby of your childhood to yourself as your eyes fluttered shut. In the meanwhile, Deimos walked around an inner chamber of the cave, pacing back and forth in front of the pyramid artifact, with its golden beams illuminating the waves of brown that sat on her head, wrapped in a ponytail braid with twine. Something about you was intriguing to her, despite being so chaste, so much from a different world than her. You were an Athenian noblewoman raised as a proper lady aside from the one skill of archery you possessed thanks to your elder brother’s militaristic teachings, with the only pains suffered being the death of your mother, the separation from your siblings, and the cruelties of your father. She was a leader for the Cult and an overall mystery, hardened by the ways of the world and of war. You represented life; she represented death. Two people who were never supposed to encounter each other were somehow brought together by Fate. But the more Deimos thought about you, the more time she spent with you, the warmer her heart became. It was as if the cold, dark winter that shattered and hardened her heart was being melted away and put back together by your motherly presence, your kindness amplified by your warmth like a spring day filled with flora, fauna, and golden sunshine. Even though you were here for a good reason and by order of your father, you did come to Deimos’s stead of your own volition. That had to count for something in Deimos’s mind. If your sister and brother could escape Athens and disappear to never be seen again, you could’ve easily gone with them if you wanted. But you said it yourself: Archery was the only skill you knew. That alone wouldn’t serve you well in the real world aside from long distance combat and hunting; you’d be dead or captured if that was the case. Maybe that was why you stayed here with Deimos, even when you feared her. Maybe you knew you wouldn’t survive out there on your own, so you had no choice but to come here. But you did it willingly and you proved to be nothing but loyal to Deimos since you came here. This is why she had no fear or thoughts of betrayal when it came to you. But as Deimos became closer to you, it was evident she enjoyed your company despite her awkwardness and that she wanted to protect you. It had nothing to do with the fact that you were gifted to her by the Cult. Sure, you were her reward, but while she sparked fear in others including you, the one quality you did admire about her was her restraint and patience when it came to you. The fact that she never harmed you seemed to make you fear her less, and that hope that she felt around you...It seemed to strengthen as you became more comfortable around her. With that, Deimos walked back to the room she shared with you as she closed the door behind her before catching sight of your sleeping form. As if she was staring at you like she did the first time she ever saw you sleep in this room, Deimos’s eyes widened and her mouth closed aside from the two front teeth that rested against her bottom lip. Moving to the wall where her armor laid to rest her back against the stone, Deimos watched you sleep from afar as she rested her wrists against her knee caps, her eyes never leaving you. Deimos desperately wanted to get closer; she desperately wanted to be able to feel your touch. If your touch was as gentle as your voice, words, or actions, then Deimos definitely wanted to know what that kind of gentleness could feel like. It didn’t even have to be a grand gesture like a hug. Even just a hand to hold would be enough to satisfy Deimos’s hunger for even one act of kindness and gentle touch. However, Deimos didn’t want to push her luck and scare you off. It took a few years to get you comfortable enough to show her kindness by making a home-cooked meal and sitting down with her since she had been too busy and away for weeks on end to do so. Therefore, all Deimos did in order to feel closer to you was move slowly towards you one inch before laying down to sleep. No bed roll, no blanket, nothing. Deimos didn’t need the comforts of civilian life. She was a soldier and nothing more, so the life of a noblewoman or civilian would not suit her best. In actuality, Deimos didn’t feel deserving of you. You were so pure and sweet and she was just not. You deserved someone, any woman, better than her to have as a best friend. Even though the id inside Deimos pressed her to believe that she was good enough for you, sometimes she didn’t feel it was so. But for now, Deimos decided to bury those negative thoughts, push those feelings so far down in her mind that she couldn’t readily find them again. For now, she would sleep in peace and just watch from afar as you slumbered in Morpheus’s realm. Perhaps in time, she could get closer without scaring you off and perhaps in time, maybe she would feel more deserving of someone as kind as you. 

The next morning, your eyes snapped open as you shot up from the bed roll before surveying the room, even with your head cloudy and vision hazy. With a yawn as you rubbed your closed eyes of sleep with the back of your hand, you tried to get your bearings as one thing seemed consistent with the many visual sweeps you did of the room. Deimos wasn’t there which could only mean she was already at the training grounds waiting on you. In a panic brought about by your anxiety of angering or disappointing Deimos, you hurried to make yourself presentable by fixing your white sheer dress, sandals, golden snake and pyramid jewelry, and golden curls, not even bothering to look like a lady with the proper cosmetics or care for your appearance. With all your rushing around, you nearly forgot your sandals and made yourself disheveled again. However, you somehow managed as you sprinted to the training grounds. Leaning against the wall for support, your ragged breaths echoed through the halls as you bent over to catch the oxygen that escaped your lungs. If only your siblings could see you now, they’d be laughing their heads off with how out of shape you were. When you were little, you were pretty fast when it came to running. But as a young woman, your speed was lacking due to being out of practice. However, this was no laughing matter when it came to Deimos. Once you could finally breathe again, you entered the training room but found it to be dark aside from the dawn that was trying to make an entrance in the sky above. However, the training room was still beautiful nonetheless as it shone with weapons of all kinds, metals and wood gleaming against the racks that held them. But the arena was the main attraction and it was huge, decorated with yellow and red archery targets left and right. There were even gated galleries all around the arena that allowed passersby to see the action without worrying about a stray arrow hitting them or a fatal side swipe from an axe. Even though you had never seen the inside of an arena before, you knew the basic layout of a training area if your visits to your brother’s military camps were anything to go by. Just seeing all this now reminded you of Zale. You could smell the perspiration of training soldiers, hear the jovial jubilation of war stories or drinking songs from soldiers young and old complete with someone playing a lute or flute, and you could even taste the hearty meals around the campfires. But more importantly, you could see your siblings’ faces clear as day in front of you and feel their bodies near you even though they were so far from Delphi. It was so much, so many fond memories of simpler times, that it made you want to cry. But you refused to do so as Deimos would be here any minute and if weakness was shown, she probably wouldn’t be as merciful as Zale in regards to your archery skills. So you kept the rains of the storm inside you at bay. You would have another time to cry and remember your past, but not now. That would have to wait. 

As if on cue, Deimos arrived into the training room clad in her golden armor as the metallic clacks echoed on the stone floor, sending terror circulating through your spine. But then again, that was Deimos’s namesake, a deity that was symbolic to the very emotion you felt in your heart. However, the only way to combat fear was to rely on inner strength and faith in the other deities. Remembering your prayers to Apollo, Artemis, and Persephone from the other night, a spark of courage ignited inside you as you faced the woman, greeting her kindly with a ‘good morning’ as she greeted you back with a question, “You ready to prove your supposed archery skills to me?” 

Never in your life had you answered Deimos so confidently even though fear nudged you in every direction you could think of in your anxiety-ridden psyche until you nodded, “I’m ready whenever you are.” With a small nod at your sudden boost of confidence despite how humbled your tone sounded when you told her of your preference of archery, Deimos handed you a decorative bow and quiver of arrows that were just as beautiful as her own weapons, which you noticed were strapped to her armored back. Taking a look at the weapons handed to you, you inspected them carefully with sparkling eyes while Deimos’s own orbs scanned your reaction. The grip was gold while the wood was dark brown. Little symbol designs were hand-carved and painted yellow and white into the wood, like a tapestry telling a story from ancient mythology. Pulling on the string to test its strength, it kicked back on you very quickly with a resistance that seemed too powerful for someone as dainty as you, however, it still prompted a gentle nod at how well-crafted the weapon was. But the best part of the weaponry that Deimos presented you with was the arrows, thin dark wood that complimented the bow with metal tips that were so thin and sharp, they were like a kitten’s tooth or a sewing needle, and black and gold feathery decorations to allow the arrows to sail through the air upon their release from the bow. In all honesty, it was as if this bow had been crafted just for you, as it fit your hand perfectly and the bow itself was the most ideal size. Perhaps the twins Apollo and Artemis answered your prayers after all, or maybe, Deimos had the bow made for you just for this challenge. 

Stepping behind you, Deimos crossed her arms over her chest with a narrowed expression that indicated harsh judgement before she directed you to hit the target in front of you. The test had begun and you wanted to pass with flying colors; you had to pass and impress the Cultist soldier. Failure was not an option. Turning around to give a solemn nod to Deimos, you swiveled forward as you pulled your golden curls back, braiding them into a makeshift ponytail to keep your hair out of your face. Once your vision was completely clear, you strapped on the quiver to your back and swiped an arrow out of the leather pouch. Nocking the arrow slowly as you pulled back on the string, you inhaled deeply as you cleared your head. Anxiety could NOT plague you now. You needed complete quiet and concentration in order to prove yourself to Deimos without making a mistake. Holding your breath as you lined yourself up to aim towards the center of the target, you felt heat pool in your core as your heart thundered in your chest. Thump...thump...thump...thump...The rhythm of your heart as you held your breath increased in speed the longer you withheld oxygen. However, in order to perfect your aim, you had to hold your breath to keep as still as possible so you wouldn’t falter in this endeavor. With a single blink of both eyes, the whistling of the arrow whipped through the air as the bowstring pounded against your hand to make its descent back to its place at the center of the bow. Praying that the arrow would hit its mark with closed eyes as you continuously held the bow up, you and Deimos watched as the slender weaponry soared straight with the speed of Hermes before meeting the target with a loud thump that matched the beat of a drum or a heart. Once again, your heart began to bang wildly in your chest as you awaited Deimos’s response, fearful of her judgement to where the arrow landed. It was almost a perfect shot since it landed on the cusp of the center and the ring close to the center, but it was a pretty good shot considering you were years out of practice from your archery craft. However, Deimos seemed like the type to expect perfection, just as your father did when you were under his roof and expected to live up to his ideals while disregarding your own dreams and wishes. That’s why it was pretty nerve-racking to watch Deimos pace around you with narrowed eyes, like a lion inspecting its prey before pouncing, as she inched closer to the target where the arrow met its mark. Scanning the entirety of the target and the arrows, Deimos kept her expressions hidden from you as you waited patiently from a distance, praying that the soldier wouldn’t be livid that you missed by not even one fourth of an inch. However, Deimos was far from angry at you as she smirked at the finesse of your technique and the fact that someone as delicate as you could hit a target this thick from that far away. An Athenian noblewoman who shouldn’t have been trained in weaponry was actually a good shot...what were the odds? Not only were you trained by your naval captain brother, but you expanded your knowledge of the craft for yourself. This seemed to intrigue Deimos as she smirked again, hoisting the arrow from the target before sauntering back over to your paralyzed form. Was she mad that you didn’t perfectly hit the target’s center? Was she actually pleased with your archery? Was she ambivalent and uncaring? You didn’t know because her face and glaring golden brown orbs betrayed what she actually thought. But it frightened you even more that she wasn’t giving a direct comment about your skills, just taking her sweet time with a menacing gait that was as slow as it was unnerving. To not know what was in her head, to not know her intentions for you, it didn’t set your heart at ease the closer she came in front of you until she was mere inches from you, holding out the arrow to you as if she wanted you to take it from her armored hands. Unsure of what to think, say, or do when faced with Deimos, the only thing you could fathom was that she wanted you to take the arrow from her, leading your hands to meet as the arrow was curled around your fingers. Eyes of gold and eyes of (Eye Color) sparkled in the daylight that permeated the room from the top of the training room, a welcoming sight and warmth in a cavern home plagued by darkness and cold, as Deimos did something you never thought she would do. For the first time in all the years you had known her, Deimos actually nodded at you with a gentle expression even though no hint of a smile was present. Actually, this expression welcomed you in as it finally calmed your anxieties. For once, you reveled in the fact that you didn’t have to fear Deimos and her reaction because Artemis and Apollo answered your prayers; your arrow met its mark and Deimos was pleased. Therefore, you grinned back to express your relieved gratitude that Deimos was pleased with you before she nodded again, “Your brother taught you well; you have good aim.”

“Thank you, my almighty Deimos.” You nodded as you bowed to the woman out of respect before the soldier replied, “But there is still room for improvement, if you’re willing to listen since I’ll only say it once.” 

“Of course.” You nodded as you followed the callused hands that beckoned you to come to them so you were back in front of the target again. You had to be sure you were comprehending the events that transpired correctly because it sounded like Deimos was trying to instruct you on how to better your skills in archery. She was pleased that you hit your target but it almost sounded like she was helping you. But why would she do that? You were her reward and you were loyal to her, never trying to escape or deceive her because you held out hope for your siblings coming back for you. One would think that a master wouldn’t give weapons training to their slave; it wouldn’t make the most logical sense. But then again, Deimos always treated you as an equal, even more so than she treated the other heads of the Cult. The members of the Cult were disposable subordinates to her, but you were special and fiercely protected from everyone else by Deimos. Sure, maybe it was because Deimos would only be given one reward and would receive no one else if something happened to you. Or maybe it was because Deimos knew she wouldn’t always be around to protect you and wanted to be absolutely sure that you would never leave her side through death by her many enemies. Whatever the case was, Deimos seemed eager to teach you even though her neutrality in word and deed was evident in the poised posture of her muscled physique. Therefore, you decided to indulge the woman to see what her intentions were as you stood in front of Deimos before she positioned herself behind you to watch your every move. Commanding you to enter your archery stance, you followed Deimos’s lead as you raised your arms up and positioned the bow properly before the woman shook her head, “No, stop...Use your dominant hand to pull the string and your weaker hand to grip the bow.”

“Really? My brother always taught me to do it the opposite way.” 

“Well, he is wise and it is possible to shoot a bow that way. You should know multiple ways to shoot and be able to shoot with either hand...But if you want the perfect shot with the best aim, then try it my way.” Deimos directed as she stood behind you while you nodded warmly, “Alright, I’ll try it your way.” Watching you position the bow again, Deimos noticed your stance was off by mere minutia as she shook her head again, “Wait...Your posture is good. But your legs need to be spread more and your feet need to be more firmly planted on the ground.” 

“Yes, Sir.” You nodded back before Deimos held her hands out as if she wanted to direct your physique on where she needed it to go. It was such a subtle gesture that one wouldn’t have picked up on its true intent, but then again, subtlety was in Deimos’s nature when it came to matters of physical touch while getting to the point made up the other half of her psyche. Noticing what she wanted to do, you relaxed enough and trusted her not to harm you as you let her touch you. With callused hands gripping your dominant wrist and the bicep of your opposite hand, the soldier turned you maybe about half an inch from your original stance and realigned your posture so you were standing straight with legs spread an inch further apart than what they were minutes ago. Then, Deimos directed you to shoot the arrow as she whispered in your ear, still standing behind you before you nodded again. Nocking the arrow as you yanked on the bowstring a second time while inhaling deeply through your nose, Deimos carefully examined your stance and nodded silently at you, witnessing the amount of breath control and focus you had for this target as you inwardly prayed to Apollo and Artemis for their blessings again, oxygen withholding itself from your lungs as you held your breath and stayed as still as a statue in Medusa’s lair. Without losing eye contact with the target, even to blink, you released the arrow on the sharp exhale as it cut through the air, whistling towards the target as it stayed on its steady course...

THUNK!

The telling sign that the arrow met its mark echoed in the training room as you and Deimos investigated where it landed. It was a clean shot, a clean kill if it had been a person coming at you. Perfectly lodged into the crimson center was the arrow, glimmering in black and gold. With a breathy gasp, you couldn’t believe that Deimos’s teachings actually worked for your archery as the brunette smirked with a whisper of ‘perfect’ so low that you couldn’t even understand what she said. With another direction to go again, you seemed more jovial today than you had at the start of your new life with Deimos as you turned to the woman in the golden armor, your golden curls fanning your body during your jovial twirl while a smile was the highlight of your face as you nodded and followed her directions once more. 

After a few rounds of archery, Deimos announced that you were done for the day as you handed the bow and quiver back to her. However, the woman shook her head as she pushed the weaponry back to you while she retorted, “Keep it. You may need it one day when there’s no one around to protect you.”

“Really? You would trust me with weapons, even when I’m your reward?” 

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t trust you?” Deimos snapped with a tone that indicated annoyance with a hint of anger as her guard went up, her volume rose with each syllable, and her muscles tensed. However, your docile voice was quick to calm her again as you shook your head vehemently, “No...No, I accept the responsibility of your gift. Thank you, my almighty Deimos.” After a few moments of silence following your attempt to bring down Deimos’s outburst, the woman relaxed upon seeing the honesty and innocence in your very aura while you addressed her as if she was a person and not a tool of the Cult, “Deimos, I really enjoyed this day. I never would’ve expected to have a member of the Cult instruct me in archery or be so kind to me, but I really appreciate you treating me this way. I know I haven’t been the best company to you, being weak and nearly silent, but your presence is always welcome to me since I always enjoy having you around...Being with you today reminded me of the times my sister, Mater, and I would visit my brother at his military training camps. So thank you. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” 

Deimos didn’t think she was hallucinating, but then again, you just said you enjoyed her company and it didn’t seem like an act spoken out of terrified hesitation to avoid an eruption of temper. Honesty was your best quality, one that Deimos always appreciated since you were pretty much the only one who lived that quality every day. So to hear that you genuinely enjoyed spending time with her and that she even brought back good memories from your childhood, something changed in Deimos as a layer of ice shattered and melted away from her heart before putting another piece back together. In that moment, Deimos’s subtle and grand expressions towards you changed as she softened before your very eyes. It was instantly noticed as her eyes didn’t pierce daggers into your soul but instead pleaded out for help from one soul to another. Her voice even seemed to present itself with a warm rumbling as she addressed you back, nothing like the arrogant booming and barking you were accustomed to in the years you lived with him, “Well, you needed to learn how to fight and I wanted to see where you were at in your archery, nothing more.” 

“Well, no matter the reason, I learned a lot from you. Thank you so much.” You replied back with a gentle smile before you asked to go again one more time, just to test your aim as the woman relented with a solemn nod. And if your eyes weren’t deceiving you, you swore you saw the woman grin with warmth in her eyes, however, you didn’t dare to question it, knowing that Deimos would vehemently deny it or be angered. 

After the last arrow from your quiver hit its mark successfully, you pulled the weapons from the target and stuffed them back into their storage compartment before heading back to your shared room with Deimos as an escort. Linking your arm with hers, your eyes glanced upon the muscles of her forearm as they tensed in response to your gentle touch before they slowly released the flexing motions like air deflating out of a car tire. Several dark hallways later and you were back in the room as Deimos announced that she had a meeting with the other higher-ups of the Cult, but the moment ended with you thanking Deimos again for the day with a kiss to the forehead and soft smile as she closed the door behind you. Sauntering back down the dark halls with her callused hand cradling her warm forehead, Deimos’s heart rate increased with every step and every recollection of you and your kindness. In short, you had a good influence on her very character and both of you knew it. Whether she liked it or not, Deimos was changing and it was all thanks to you. Had it been her interacting with anyone else, Deimos would’ve plunged himself further into a path of darkness and blood. But your light-hearted innocence, your very presence prompted a positive growth in those who interacted with you and that included the almighty soldier Deimos. For a woman who was never supposed to feel kindness or warmth, she miraculously crossed paths with you and had such feelings of platonic friendship for you. Unbeknownst to her, you were suddenly falling in love with her as the evidence of her change made itself clear to you in every interaction you had with her following the first. 

Over the past several days, you and Deimos spent more time together since you both enjoyed each other’s company. During this time, Deimos picked up on your interests and preferences for womanly tasks such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other activities. Taking these things in mind, Deimos would always return to the compound with something for you from her travels, whether it was from a marketplace in Delphi or in other marketplaces in the Greek world. Sometimes, there were new garments for you to wear since your usual white one was starting to get filthy after wearing it since the first day you met the woman. Other times, it was a trinket of some sort such as a seashell from a beach or tools for sewing and weaving. But one gift that Deimos always seemed to provide for you all the time unless she was away on business was fresh pomegranates. You always favored them over any other fruit unless pomegranates weren’t in stock, but with Deimos, they seemed to always be in stock specifically for you. This kindness was always repaid with an accompaniment to Deimos’s sessions in the training room every morning for archery. The more time spent together with the woman, the more skills she brought out in you as she taught you offensive and defensive maneuvers as well as extended weapons training. Your brother and sister had taught you well and Deimos could see that, but she gave you something they didn’t: A push of motivation, even if it seemed harsh and unyielding at first before becoming gentle upon seeing your success. Deimos brought out the warrior in you, the part of you that was considered unladylike in Athenian societal standards. She commanded you to harness the strength that you often held back and you did so without question, slowly becoming more like a queen with a gentleness and a demeanor that seemed to earn respect from others. Personal gratification satisfied Deimos to see a pleasant change in you; you were still meek and innocent, just as she always enjoyed you, but you were also beginning to grow more of a spine rather than just giving into the demands of others out of fear of their reactions. Even around her, she kinda enjoyed you standing up to her sometimes rather than always being a yea-sayer that constantly kissed up to her out of fear. In truth, it was one of the many reasons why she was intrigued by you during your first meeting. Even with a heart that was almost too pure for this world, you always stood your ground. 

One night during a home-cooked meal from you, Deimos informed you that she had to travel abroad for a mission of the Cult. It wasn’t like you had ever been alone in all the time you had known Deimos because up until recently, you were often alone while the soldier trained. But this time, you actually found yourself worrying about her and her safety. Even though she scared you at first, she did make you feel safe, especially around the other Cult members. You also found yourself beginning to miss her even before she departed for her journey. Never in your wildest dreams did you think she would miss you or you would miss her, but both of you felt the opposite of what was expected. Putting down your food, you glided across the floor to the area of the room where you kept your weaving materials and some of your finished works, which included a couple blankets and tapestries. Pulling up a black cloth embroidered with golden thread, you handed the warm item to Deimos as the brunette’s golden eyes widened with knitted brows, thick and bushy across her face, before you grinned gently, “Here, I made this for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a blanket. Sometimes, you go on long journeys but I never know where. However it sometimes gets really cold at night, so I wanted to make sure you had something to keep you warm at night.” You responded as Deimos scooped the blanket from your arms and into hers. The thick cloth under her fingers felt so soft that it reminded her of your golden curls but as she noticed the story that the tapestry told and how well-crafted the thread was sewn into the black cloth, it brought a small grin to her face as she shook her head, “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know, but I wanted to.” You explained warmly as Deimos’s eyes widened in surprise before she nodded solemnly, “It will serve me well.” She really didn’t deserve the blanket and she really didn’t deserve you; that’s what Deimos vehemently believed as she watched for your reaction, which consisted of a warm smile and a nod. She expected you to let him savor the blanket before snatching it away and calling her weak for accepting kindness. That’s what everyone else did to him whenever she actually believed someone was being genuine to her only for them to reveal their true colors. That definitely explained her paranoia for betrayal and why she always tested someone’s loyalty. But with you, your honesty was real without any expectation of anything in return or self-serving motive aside from a naturally benevolent, giving personality. Every kindness you gave to Deimos, you never reneged on it or insulted her for it. This was why Deimos trusted you with a raw vulnerability that nearly made you wanna cry at seeing the soldier take down the walls around her heart and reveal who she really was around you: Just a scared little kid who wanted to love and be loved, an orphan who felt so alone in this world until he met you and befriended you. This was why a perplexed expression graced your face as Deimos whispered a soft ‘thank you, Krysanthe’ while looking directly at your eyes with her golden ones before you grinned back with a whisper of ‘you’re welcome.’ In all the time you knew her, she never said thank you and she never called you by your real name of Krysanthe. However, once more, you didn’t question her or her motivations for suddenly being so nice to you as you continued about your merry way. Much later, Deimos packed for her journey as you watched him from afar while cleaning up the utensils from dinner before you told her that you were going to retire to bed. Giving a nod, Deimos prepared for her own slumber as she set up her new blanket on the ground before you called out to the woman. For years, Deimos slept on the ground and snuck closer to you with every passing day until she slept mere inches from you as of recently. She respected your privacy and you returned the favor. But now, you were comfortable enough to let her come closer as you pat the empty space beside your bedroll, pleading with her to share with you so she wouldn’t freeze in the damp chill of the cave. For the first time, Deimos didn’t hesitate at the chance to get closer to you as she nodded and followed your request obediently rather than the other way around, draping her blanket over the both of you as you faced each other like two friends at a girls-only slumber party. Reaching your hand out to grip hers, Deimos took your palm and gave it a gentle squeeze as you grinned at her before you both drifted off, eyes of gold and (Eye Color) fluttering shut before the inevitable departure of your soldier began tomorrow morning as you saw her off safely at his boat. Wishing her safe travels as you promised to pray for her, Deimos asked you to wait up for her as you grinned back at her, promising again that you would as one of the heads of one of the Cult’s branches scanned you for any deceit or betrayal and found none in your gestures or tone. Once the boat had taken off with your soldier friend upon the vessel, you were led back into your room on the base with one of the Cultist branch heads, specifically a female who was as regal as she was beautiful if her motherly tone was anything to go by. While you didn’t know her name or face, you were aware that she used to be a Hetaera that traveled around the Greek world, making her well-cultured and intelligent. At least, that’s what she told you; whether it was true or not, you didn’t know. However, the woman behind the mask was the only rational brain in the Cult while Deimos was obviously the brawn, and they both seemed to always have a comforting, tough love demeanor whenever faced with you in comparison to the cold-heartedness of the other Cult members who still believed you were up to something meant to derail their plans. However, because Deimos and the former Hetaera were in your corner, nothing was ever done or said in regards to you because if Deimos would’ve found out...The thoughts were so malicious and sadistic that you didn’t even want to know what her wrath would unleash if someone within her Cult ever hurt you. 

Almost a week had passed and you and the Cult heard no word from Deimos aside from that she and the others with her were in route back to Delphi. While you were excited for your friend’s return and prepared extensively by doing extra cleaning around the room and making yourself more presentable, something in the back of your mind was nagging at you. Ominous foreboding was in the internal message as you felt like something bad was going to happen to Deimos, whether it was on her way back from her mission or upon her return to Delphi. In any case, you kept on your toes and made sure you were ready for what was come, even without knowing what you needed to be ready for. Therefore, your hypervigilance was laser-focused on the future while your prayers were directed at Deimos and her safe return. At long last, when Deimos returned to the caves of Delphi, you expected to give her a warm meal and a tender hug to welcome her back. However, there was no jubilation and no familiar clacks of armored feet hitting the floor. Instead, Deimos was brought in on a makeshift stretcher, bloodied and bruised with the faintest sign that she was still clinging to life. In short, many of the men aboard the ship were in bad shape but it seemed Deimos was spared from more severe, fatal injuries. The sight was enough to bring you to your knees beside the woman as you rushed to your friend’s side to grip her hand in yours, not caring if you pushed Cultist guards or Cultist leaders out of the way. Some of the Cultists believed you meant Deimos harm and raised their weapons at you until the lady behind the mask waved her hands down, giving a solemn nod to everyone else as they slowly stood down. Leaning down close to Deimos, you brushed stray strands back from her crimson, sticky forehead as the twine that held her braid still unraveled to reveal beautiful brunette waves that pooled around her shoulders. It didn’t matter to you that blood had gotten on your hands or even your clothes; all you cared about now was Deimos. That’s why you turned to a nearby Cultist guard who had accompanied Deimos on the journey, tears streaming down your cheeks as your voice faltered into a tremble, “W-What h...happened?” 

“It was a battle at sea from a hostile ship; Deimos and the rest of us managed to do a number on them, but we also suffered injuries ourselves. Her case is mild in comparison to some of ours.” The guard answered as he was taken away by healers to receive proper medicine and a change of his bandages while you remained by Deimos, promising that you wouldn’t leave her as her callused hand reached up to the back of your head, stroking through your golden curls before clutching onto them like a lifeline. For several moments, the world was silent and you and Deimos remained interlocked by a bond of concern until a healer broke through and pushed you aside so they could tend to Deimos. However, the woman refused to let the healer touch her as she grabbed the man by the collar and threw him aside. Crashing into a nearby pillar as his tools clattered to the floor, Deimos stared daggers at the medicine man before she cursed at him with a hiss of ‘don’t ever touch me again’ leaving her lips. With wide eyes at seeing her fury for yourself, you decided not to set Deimos off anymore than she already was by remaining silent by her side. But Deimos’s next command brought your attention full circle as she barked at her Cultists, “The Athenian girl...She’s gentle and worthy of my trust. I want her to heal my wounds.” 

“But, my precious child of Hera, if you don’t get help now, you’ll bleed out-“ A female Cultist who worshipped Deimos as a deity and apparently raised her to be the hardened soldier she was now pleaded before the brunette shook her head solemnly, “No one but Krysanthe touches me. That’s an order!” Giving a small nod to the woman before you, you gave a gentle grin as you stroked her cheek before you announced, “Don’t worry, my almighty Deimos, I’ll take good care of you.” 

However, a harsh hand gripped your wrist and twisted it enough to snap bone and tendons as you whined under your breath at the shouting of several male and female Cultist guards and members, “Well, we don’t trust her. For all we know, she could mix up a poison that tastes sweet but that kills you slowly and painfully. Why would you trust a slave? Athenians are clever in words but they’re all liars!” The sheer force of all the shouts at you as the hand that twisted your wrist tightened, causing a raw rash as crimson as blood to form with the stinging burn of a thousand white-hot burning suns. Fire had been set upon you and you were without a nearby source of water to put it out. As the shouts increased in volume with more numbers joining in, the fires of hatred directed at you seemed to get higher as the flames started to overtake you. However, the female Cultist who was always in your corner extinguished the flames with an icy resolve, like a winter storm snuffing out the flames of campsite torches, as she explained, “Since the Athenian Krysanthe has been here, she has meant no harm to Deimos or any of us. She has been a great asset to our cause and to our mightiest warrior. There isn’t a shred of dishonesty in her words or deeds, and she hasn’t given us any reason not to trust her. Besides, medicine is one of the many talents of a woman, and if she knows a way to help her, I say we let her try. Deimos will bleed to death if we don’t. Do what is best for our cause and give her a chance.” 

“Krysanthe is my reward and my friend. If I say I trust her and give her permission, then you step aside and let her do as she pleases. So I suggest you get your hand off her before I cut the bone from your wrist and feed it to you like a leg of lamb.” Deimos threatened with a glare in her golden eyes that resembled a wild animal growling at an enemy that attacked their babies or their spouse while the Cultist guard who gripped your wrist gave an audible gasp behind the mask. Looking up at her eyes, you could see the guard’s eyes widen as he looked like he peed himself while your best friend never relented in the cold bitterness of her present demeanor. Someone was backing down from this fight and it wasn’t going to be Deimos; you knew that for certain. Just as expected, the guard let you go as you cradled your wrist to your chest and cowered away from the occupants of the room, massaging the sore flesh gently as Deimos pulled you into her arms sweetly with genuine concern sparkling in her eyes before she turned to the guard again, cold eyes of death glaring at the one who hurt you. You didn’t know why, but something told you that you wouldn’t be seeing that guard again anytime soon. However, Deimos was your top priority now, so you disregarded your own pain to begin healing the woman you grew to respect and like as a friend as you tied your hair back into a makeshift ponytail braid. Gathering your thoughts together while ignoring the ever-present throbbing of your wrist, the warrior queen inside you rose up to domineer over the Cultists as you requested medical materials left and right, “I’m going to need some cloth to wrap her wounds as well as some fresh herbs to make medicine. I’ll also need some wine.” 

“What do you require wine for?” A female Cultist guard asked before you responded gently, “For Deimos. I have to make her drink something that won’t taste good, so it’ll help wash away the bad taste. She’ll also need it to help her relax since the medicine may sting her wounds. Can you please produce those materials quickly? It’ll help reduce any suspicions of tampering or foul play from my end if you secure these things for me.” Giving a small wink to everyone, the Cultists scurried off to all four corners of the cave to get you the materials as you remained at Deimos’s side while you helped a few members lift her into your shared room and onto the bed roll you usually slept on. Within a few seconds, all the materials were brought to you promptly as you thanked everyone kindly for their help before you requested help from the few Cultists who trusted you to hold Deimos down on the bed roll since you had to administer the medical paste to her wounds after first cauterizing them with a flaming hot knife. After removing all the armor to clean off all the blood and grime from the soldier with a damp cloth, you pleaded for your best friend to drink the bitter medicine before rewarding her cooperation with the sweet wine. Shortly afterwards, you told the Cultists to prepare for the next course of healing as at least two individuals went to the main four extremities that lined Deimos’s body. Tapping the knife to her skin, Deimos let loose a piercing wince to the heavens as she started to fight back against the Cultists (even managing to bite one of her subordinates in the arm) who steadied her to the ground with iron grips before you screamed a plea to your allies to keep her still. After a long-winded struggle to keep Deimos down while your female Cultist ally shouted at the men and women to listen to your commands, the Cultists managed to win as exhaustion from blood loss won out, causing the brunette to collapse harshly to the bed roll with breathless pants as sweat drenched her hair. Wetting another cloth to place over Deimos’s forehead, hushed shushes spread from your lips to the woman’s ears as your chaste strokes through her hair soothed her enough to take the medical paste into her skin like a stoic without any wince or grimace. Several seconds turned into minutes as you finished up the healing process of the warrior by wrapping up her wounds with gauze as you kindly dismissed the guards with a genuine thanks for their help. Giving gentle nods back to you, the guards went about their business while the masked Cultist woman made her exit, slowly walking away so she could watch over you and Deimos in secret. 

Replacing the damp cloth on Deimos’s forehead with a cold, fresh one, you resorted to brushing her messy hair away from her sweaty forehead again as this seemed to do the trick of calming her down. Taking your own hair down from its braid, you shook out the curls with your fingers before turning back to your most-trusted friend. Even if she was a Cult member, she seemed very different from the rest of them. In a way, Hope seemed to be more alive for Deimos’s future than anyone else’s in this organization. If you could spare anyone from your siblings’ wrath when they came back for you and took down the Cult, you would knew you would always spare Deimos, every single time with no questions asked. That’s why your heart shattered at seeing Deimos so broken and bruised all the time, but especially now when she could’ve easily slipped away, alone, into Hades. Now that her condition was stable, it put your heart at ease. However, it still didn’t change the bond of friendship you both shared. In her mind, you weren’t obligated to tend to her like this through use of bribery or coercion, and yet you did so of your own free will. But why? Deimos was just a killing machine programmed from the nature and nurture surrounding her birth, a means to an end to the Cult. You were an Athenian lady sent to be her reward for whatever she desired you for until you ran out of use. However, she treated you as her equal and you reacted accordingly, but it didn’t mean you had to treat her with human decency...unless...it was what you chose to do. Never in her life had she seen someone fret over her and actually care about her safety or her health, much less another woman. The women of the Cult were tough as nails, conniving as they were beautiful. They cared not if Deimos lived or died even if she was one of their own and of their same gender. But you were not of the Cult and you were as gentle and beautiful as fresh flowers with a motherly kindness to match your newfound attitude of a strong-willed queen. That’s why Deimos was lucky to have you; in short, you cared. 

Readjusting yourself so Deimos’s head was in your lap, you absentmindedly stroked through her brunette waves as she closed her eyes with deep sighs that appeared to indicate relaxation exiting her tight-pursed lips. All the while, apologies sprang from your throat as you traced patterns over the woman’s naked shoulder and the top of the gauze binding for her breasts with your index finger, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you when I was trying to heal you. I was just so scared I would lose you, so I thought cauterizing the wounds would help prevent infection and heal them faster.” 

“I have dealt with pain my whole life; it’s nothing new.” Deimos retorted as she reached a hand out to grab yours, prompting you to take her callused palm into your hand with a tight squeeze to ground her in the reality that she was still alive and with you. However, Deimos noticed your wrist’s discomfort, especially as she held the hand that contained the injury, and asked about it, “Did he hurt you?” 

“No, my almighty Deimos. It’s just a sore wrist. It’ll heal within a couple of days.” You shook your head as a smile graced your face. However, Deimos could tell the smile was just a façade to power through the pain as your eyes sparkled with unshed tears, causing a sigh to escape her lips and her hand to stop holding your sore one as she instead cupped your cheek, “No one hurts you and gets away with it. You have my word; he’ll pay for what he did.”

“There’s no need to defend me. I’m no one special.” 

“You’re special to me. There’s no one else I’d rather spend my life with than with you, and I’d spend the rest of my life protecting you even if it gets me killed. I hate everyone else in this world aside from you. You’re my best friend and my only friend, so you’re the only one I can depend on.” Deimos explained as your eyes widened and your mouth produced a gasp while you asked for clarification, “You mean that?” Just one look in her eyes and you could tell she meant it without her having to justify his quote. It felt really good having Deimos on your side, but it felt even better knowing that Deimos actually liked you as a friend and wanted to keep you safe. Perhaps she wasn’t such a bad person after all once some layers were peeled back to reveal the real woman. That’s why you had no problem kissing her forehead from above to thank her for her kind words as she welcomed the gentleness, closing her eyes again with a sharp inhale through her nose before she silently grinned on the exhale. Whispering a ‘thank you, Krysanthe’ to you, you couldn’t help but smile back at the brunette as you leaned your back against the wall to relax while Deimos continued laying in your lap. Draping the blanket you made for her over both of you before you bid her goodnight, your hand absentmindedly braided pieces of her hair before unraveling the braid to stroke the strands and start anew. At the same time, your soldier friend reached her hand up and brushed gently through your golden curls, which tickled her face due to how long it was. The moment was so tender that the lady in the mask who liked you couldn’t help but wipe a silent tear from her eye as she couldn’t believe what she witnessed during her slow exit from the room. Deimos, a feared soldier, had actually learned to grow a heart and express friendship with another. Never in centuries could the Cult’s leader had predicted this, even with the best Oracles of Delphi. But she couldn’t erase what she saw for it was no illusion of magic or the mind. Deciding to keep such matters to herself, the lady in the mask left you two alone as Deimos savored your company and you savored hers. 

The gifts of Artemis and her archery served you well in gaining Deimos’s trust and respect as a worthy combatant that wanted to learn how to defend herself. Now, the gifts of Apollo and his healing saved Deimos from certain death and healed you gain Deimos’s friendship and empathy. Praying to the gods above definitely sealed your fate, but it was better than you could’ve imagined. Hades was never your intended future; Deimos was. Now it all made sense as to why this plan of staying behind to help your siblings escape was yours to carry out alone. Your sister was too much like Deimos and wouldn’t have had the capability of calming the woman as she had a stubbornness and temper to match a smart mouth, something Deimos wouldn’t have put up with. But while you were as opinionated and intelligent as your sister, there was something about your timidness that Deimos liked. It wasn’t because you were meek and without a spine. It was your gentleness that she enjoyed, your company that seemed to always put her in a good mood even when she was livid enough to rip someone’s head off. Your presence didn’t put her on the defensive or offensive but instead kept her neutral. You did what your sister could not and became what she could not be; you were an Athenian lady and proud of it. Only a true lady could’ve achieved this task, and you did just that. Sleeping soundly at the fact that you succeeded, you prayed to the gods one more time to deliver you and Deimos from the Cult and to a reunion with your family again. In return, Deimos wished for a future with you by her side, no matter what that future held.


End file.
